Fifa Super League: Infantino discussed having governing body’s name on European breakaway
A newly revealed term sheet shows that Fifa president Gianni Infantino discussed rebranding the breakaway European Super League project under Fifa's own name, with negotiations reportedly progressing to a formal agreement framework. The document indicates that Fifa's leadership was far more deeply involved in the controversial scheme than previously known, despite Infantino later publicly condemning the Super League after it triggered mass fan protests and was abandoned in April 2021.
The term sheet, dated October 2020, proposed a partnership of at least 12 years between Fifa and the Super League, including a joint venture to run commercial operations and a "golden share" giving Fifa special governance and political rights. It also outlined plans to sideline national football associations, reduce international match windows, and tie an annual knockout version of Fifa's Club World Cup directly to the new competition. Infantino is understood to have been fully aware of the plan's development, though it remains unclear how far talks advanced before the scheme's public collapse, after which he told Uefa's congress that Fifa could "only strongly disapprove" of the Super League.
- Term sheet shows Fifa considered branding the Super League under its own name
- Fifa was reportedly ready to sideline national football associations
- Infantino later publicly denounced the same project he was linked to
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Preliminary business discussions are routine in international governance, and the mere existence of a term sheet does not constitute endorsement or commitment. When FIFA's leadership subsequently withdrew support following overwhelming stakeholder opposition and public outcry, this reflected a legitimate reassessment of the proposal. Organisations regularly explore multiple strategic options, many of which advance no further than discussion; the fact that this initiative did not proceed suggests FIFA ultimately recognised the Super League's incompatibility with its governance responsibilities.
The case against
FIFA's leadership conducted substantive negotiations to reshape global football under commercial principles, yet Gianni Infantino publicly condemned the Super League without disclosing FIFA's own parallel involvement in planning a formalised partnership. This represents a deception that allowed FIFA to appear as defender of football's integrity whilst privately pursuing the same commercial restructuring the Super League promised. The gap between private negotiations and public rhetoric, particularly regarding strong disapproval from someone involved in the scheme's design, undermines institutional credibility and transparency.