SUN AUG 09 2026-theGBJournal| FIFA has hit back at what it described as a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine its president, warning that any attempt to remove or challenge him outside the organisation’s democratic process will not be tolerated.
In a strongly worded statement released late Saturday, FIFA said its president remains in office with the backing of its 211 member associations and dismissed recent reports about his leadership as a mix of “unsubstantiated assertions” and “demonstrably false claims.”
“FIFA will not support, facilitate or tolerate any process concerning the election of the FIFA President that is inconsistent with FIFA’s Statutes, democratic procedures and established governance framework,” a FIFA spokesperson said.
“The FIFA President was democratically elected by FIFA’s Member Associations and continues to serve with their mandate.”
The statement, which echoed recent positions from CONMEBOL and CAF, accused unnamed opponents of trying to achieve through allegations and misinformation what they could not achieve through FIFA’s established electoral process.
“Those who do not have the support of FIFA’s Member Associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes,” FIFA said.
FIFA also took aim at what it called speculation presented as fact, saying repetition does not make an allegation true.
“Speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact, and repetition does not make an allegation true,” the governing body said.
The organisation defended the president’s record of more than 30 years in European and global football, arguing that efforts to expand access, resources and opportunities across the game have inevitably challenged established interests.
But FIFA made clear it would not allow those disputes to undermine its leadership.
“Change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement with that change cannot justify efforts to undermine the democratic mandate of FIFA’s President or the institution he was elected to lead,” it said.
FIFA said it welcomes legitimate scrutiny but would aggressively challenge reporting it considers inaccurate or misleading.
“Scrutiny is not a licence to distort facts, amplify unsubstantiated allegations or manufacture distractions designed to undermine progress,” the spokesperson said.
The governing body ended with a defiant message, saying it would not be distracted from its agenda.
“Through the FIFA President and the FIFA administration, our focus remains firmly on that mission, and we are more determined than ever to fulfil it.”
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