The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)has dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming it asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to step down from his position, describing the claims as outright falsehood.
The NFF issued the clarification through its official X handle, #TheNFF, on Saturday, directly refuting the rumours that had spread online. “Contrary to reports, especially on social media, #TheNFF has never asked and is not asking for #FIFAcom President, Mr. Gianni Infantino to step down as FIFA PRESIDENT. This is outright falsehood. Kindly disregard,” the federation stated.
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The denial arrives as Infantino’s leadership faces mounting global scrutiny following a now-abandoned proposal to sell commercial rights linked to the World Cup. The plan sparked backlash from multiple stakeholders before FIFA shelved it, but the controversy has continued to trail Infantino in the weeks since.
Several European football associations have since called for the FIFA president to resign. Norway’s federation has publicly demanded his departure, joining other European bodies that have voiced similar concerns over his handling of the commercial rights saga and broader questions about governance at world football’s top table.
Not every stakeholder shares that stance, however. The Confederation of African Football has expressed continued support for Infantino, positioning itself firmly behind his leadership even as pressure builds elsewhere. That divide has placed federations like the NFF under scrutiny, with social media users apparently linking Nigeria’s governing body to the anti-Infantino camp despite no such position being taken.
By moving quickly to shut down the claims, the NFF appears keen to avoid being drawn into a dispute that has split opinion across the football world. The federation’s statement stopped short of addressing Infantino’s leadership directly, focusing instead on correcting what it called a false attribution.
The episode underscores how rapidly unverified claims can spread across social media platforms during periods of heightened tension in football governance, forcing federations to issue rapid rebuttals to protect their public standing.
FIFA has not yet commented publicly on the wave of resignation calls or on Nigeria’s clarification. Infantino, who has led world football’s governing body since 2016, has faced periodic criticism over commercial decisions during his tenure, though he has generally maintained strong backing from federations outside Europe.
As things stand, the NFF’s position remains one of neutrality on the matter, with the federation choosing to distance itself from the resignation calls rather than align with either camp in the growing dispute over Infantino’s leadership.
