UEFA Walks Out After FIFA President Infantino Arrives Late Paraguay Congress

FIFA President Gianni Infantino faced significant backlash for arriving over two hours late to the FIFA Congress in Paraguay after attending diplomatic events in the Middle East with former U.S. President Donald Trump. His late arrival caused the meeting to start more than three hours behind schedule, leading UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and several other senior officials to stage a walkout in protest, criticizing the rescheduling as prioritizing "private political interests" over football. Norwegian Football Association President Lisa Klaveness also condemned Infantino’s absence from key pre-congress meetings and expressed concerns about the lack of transparency and respect for the member associations. Infantino apologized for the delay but defended his decision to attend the Middle East meetings, claiming they were important for representing football on the global stage, especially with upcoming World Cups in the region. UEFA and other European delegates saw the incident as a sign of growing tensions and questioned FIFA’s leadership and governance practices. The controversy highlighted deeper unrest within global football’s leadership regarding respect, professionalism, and who sets the agenda for the sport’s future.