Won't act before September: what lies behind Saudi Arabia's silence in the Infantino crisis? | Goal.com
Press reports have revealed why the Saudi federation has stayed silent on the crisis engulfing FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who now risks losing his post after the collapse of the World Cup privatisation project.
British journalist Ben Jacobs explained the reason on Wednesday. It comes down, in part, to the elections due within the Saudi Arabian Football Federation at the end of this August.
The federation will hold an extraordinary general assembly on 30 August to choose a new president, according to the same source. The successor will replace Yasser Al-Misehal, who resigned after the Saudi national team crashed out of the 2026 World Cup.
Jacobs pointed to that election as one of the main reasons Saudi Arabia have yet to declare an official position on Infantino's future, with pressure mounting for him not to stand for a fresh term at the head of FIFA.
Citing several senior Saudi officials, the journalist noted that opposition to Infantino carrying on exists within the corridors of Saudi football. The official stance, though, will most likely stay under wraps until September, once the federation elections are done.
All of this lands as the FIFA president faces growing pressure from continental and national federations alike. He abandoned the plan to sell a share of the commercial rights to FIFA's tournaments, a project that drew a wide wave of criticism and eroded the support he once enjoyed across many football circles.
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