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Politics541 outlets ran this4 min read

Serbia withdraws support for Infantino as FIFA leadership crisis grows

Serbia's football association revoked its backing for Gianni Infantino's re-election 70 days after pledging it

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published Updated
Fifa je želela zasebnim vlagateljem prodati približno 20-odstotni delež v novi družbi, ki bi upravljala njena največja tekmovanja, vključno s svetovnimi prvenstvi. S poslom je nameravala zbrati do 4,2 milijarde dolarjev, a je načrt po ostrem nasprotovanju Uefe in drugih deležnikov propadel. FOTO: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

What this story says

  • Serbia's football association withdrew support for Gianni Infantino's re-election as FIFA president 70 days after initially backing him.
  • The withdrawal follows FIFA's failed attempt to raise up to $4.2 billion by selling a stake in a new company managing major tournaments.
  • UEFA and several European football associations had already opposed Infantino, with Serbia now joining the growing dissent.
  • Infantino's next term, if re-elected, would run from 2027 to 2031, with the vote scheduled for 18 March 2027 in Morocco.

Who covered it

Left 28%(92)Centre 50%(161)Right 22%(71)

Percentages are shares of the 324 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 217 of the 541 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

42/100

Craft

55/100

Hype

50/100

541 sources · methodology

Serbia's football association revoked its support for Gianni Infantino's bid to remain FIFA president on 4 August 2026. The association had pledged its backing in writing on 25 May 2026, making the reversal a sharp turnaround in 70 days. In a statement, the association said recent events had damaged FIFA's reputation and that withdrawing support was the only logical decision.

The withdrawal adds to growing opposition within European football. UEFA and several national associations, including those of Wales, Finland, and Sweden, had already withdrawn support for Infantino. England's football association was also reported to be considering a similar move. The dissent follows the collapse of FIFA's plan to sell a stake in a new company that would manage its major tournaments, a project aimed at raising billions.

FIFA had sought to raise funds through the sale, with reports indicating the target was up to $4.2 billion. The plan faced strong opposition from UEFA and other stakeholders, leading to its failure. Serbia's association stated that future decisions in football must be made with broad consensus and open consultation among all key stakeholders.

Infantino, first elected FIFA president in 2016, has since been re-elected twice without opposition. He announced in April 2026 that he would seek a fourth term, running from 2027 to 2031. The vote is scheduled for 18 March 2027 in Morocco, with candidates required to be nominated by 18 November 2026.

What the coverage left out

No centre- or right-rated reports on this story were published. The omission is a finding: the story was not covered by outlets in those categories.

Tags:#FIFALeadership#GianniInfantino#FootballGovernance#SerbiaFootball#UEFAOpposition

Coverage settled. We checked this 257 times and stopped on 9 Aug 2026, 18:15. The figures above are what it finished at.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

92 rated outlets

  • The report by delo.si led on Serbia's withdrawal of support for Gianni Infantino, framing it as part of a broader European revolt against his leadership. It highlighted the 70-day reversal from initial backing to sharp criticism, quoting the Serbian football association's statement that FIFA needs new leadership to restore trust and unity. The report also detailed the failed FIFA plan to raise funds, specifying the $4.2 billion target.
  • delo.si included the timeline of Infantino's previous elections and his announcement of a fourth term. It noted the growing speculation about potential challengers for the presidency, citing the upcoming vote in March 2027. The report quoted the Serbian association's call for transparency and mutual respect in football governance.

Centre

161 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated outlets led on FIFA’s statement of support for Gianni Infantino after a crisis meeting in Morocco. All 12 reports carried the organisation’s reaffirmation of backing for its president, along with his public apology for "mistakes" in proposing a World Cup stake sale. The meeting’s location and the joint letter with secretary general Mattias Grafström were noted in every digest.
  • KRDO and the Birmingham Mail, the two outlets whose full reports are printed, quoted the FIFA statement’s wording: the organisation would "restore confidence" and "no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity". Both included Infantino’s Instagram post with Grafström. KRDO also reported Luis Figo’s call for Infantino’s resignation, while the Birmingham Mail detailed UEFA’s threat to boycott FIFA tournaments.
  • None of the digests mentioned Serbia’s withdrawal of support. The two full reports did not name the number of federations required to remove Infantino or the five African administrators who backed him.

Right

71 rated outlets

  • The right-rated outlets led on FIFA’s apology for the failed privatisation plan and its reaffirmation of support for Gianni Infantino. All ten digests reported that FIFA acknowledged errors in the proposal to sell World Cup stakes to private investors. Seven mentioned that senior leadership or staff backed Infantino’s continued presidency.
  • Six digests included FIFA’s warning against attacks on its integrity or governance. Four noted the meeting’s location in Morocco or Rabat. None of the digests mentioned Serbia’s withdrawal of support for Infantino, the broader leadership crisis, or any dissenting voices within FIFA.
  • The outlets quoted FIFA’s official statements, including the apology and the defence of its institutional procedures. Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström were the only figures named in the digests. The language used for Infantino ranged from “FIFA president” to “FIFA-Boss” and “leader of FIFA”.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Serbia withdraws support for Infantino as FIFA leadership crisis grows?
Of the 324 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 28% are rated left, 50% are rated centre, 22% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 541. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Serbia withdraws support for Infantino as FIFA leadership crisis grows left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 324 rated outlets on this story, 28% are rated left, 50% are rated centre, 22% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Serbia withdraws support for Infantino as FIFA leadership crisis grows biased?
Serbia withdraws support for Infantino as FIFA leadership crisis grows is one event reported by 541 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Serbia withdraws support for Infantino as FIFA leadership crisis grows?
541 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
Why did Serbia withdraw support for Gianni Infantino?
Serbia's football association withdrew support for Infantino 70 days after initially backing him, citing damage to FIFA's reputation and a need for new leadership. The reversal followed FIFA's failed plan to raise $4.2 billion by selling a stake in a new tournament management company, which faced opposition from UEFA and other stakeholders.
What was FIFA's failed plan that led to opposition?
FIFA planned to sell a stake in a new company managing major tournaments to raise up to $4.2 billion. The plan collapsed due to strong opposition from UEFA and other football associations, contributing to growing dissent against Infantino's leadership and Serbia's decision to withdraw support.
When is the next FIFA presidential election?
The next FIFA presidential election is scheduled for 18 March 2027 in Morocco. Gianni Infantino, who has held the position since 2016, is seeking a fourth term running from 2027 to 2031. Candidates must be nominated by 18 November 2026.

Read it at the source

644 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

109
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Centre

187
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Right

94
Show 86 more

Not rated

254
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How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

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How left, centre and right covered Serbia’s withdrawal from Infantino’s FIFA re-election bid | MediaBias News