What mechanisms exist to remove the president of FIFA, such as Gianni Infantino, from office?

There are several ways a FIFA president can be removed from office, and the available evidence points to three main avenues. Each one has been used or threatened in recent years – from Sepp Blatter’s exit to the formal complaint against Gianni Infantino.

Voluntary resignation

The simplest path: the president can choose to step down on his own. Sepp Blatter did exactly that in 2015 during the corruption crisis, showing that no vote or external pressure is strictly needed when the occupant decides it is time to go [1].

Removal by the FIFA Congress

The FIFA Congress is the supreme legislative body, and its powers over the presidency are spelled out in the statutes:

• Dismissal and extraordinary election – the Congress is responsible for “the election or dismissal of candidates for the office of FIFA President” [6][7]. It can call an extraordinary congress to elect a new president, which removes the incumbent [2].
• Motion of no confidence – if 20 % of the Congress members request it, an extraordinary general meeting must be held within three months. At that meeting a no‑confidence motion can be put forward, effectively forcing the president out [8].

In short, enough national associations banding together can trigger a formal vote to end a presidency.

Sanctions by the FIFA Ethics Committee

An independent ethics body can investigate and punish a president so severely that he can no longer serve:

• Complaint filing – anyone can lodge a formal complaint alleging breaches of FIFA’s rules (for example, political‑neutrality violations). Such a complaint was submitted against Gianni Infantino in 2025 [9][11].
• Provisional ban – during an investigation the Adjudicatory Chamber can impose a temporary ban. That automatically triggers the appointment of an interim president under Article 32(6) of the FIFA Statutes, as happened with Blatter [3].
• Long‑term ban – after a full hearing the committee can ban the person from all football‑related activity for years, making it impossible to continue as president [4][10].

Although the Ethics Committee does not “fire” the president in a formal vote, its sanctions achieve the same real‑world result – the official is removed from the role, supported by “rules, evidence, and independent bodies” [5].

All three mechanisms – resignation, Congressional dismissal/no‑confidence, and Ethics Committee bans – are established avenues under FIFA’s rules and have been activated or seriously discussed in connection with both Sepp Blatter and Gianni Infantino.