The Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) has denied reports circulating on social media that it has joined calls for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign.
The federation, in a statement published on its official X account on Saturday, August 8, described the reports as an “outright falsehood” and urged the public to disregard them.
“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 NFF said.
The clarification comes at a sensitive moment for Infantino, whose leadership has faced growing criticism following the controversy surrounding FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposal involving FIFA’s commercial rights and tournament operations.
The initiative was designed to create a FIFA-owned commercial structure aimed at unlocking additional revenue and increasing funding for the organisation’s 211 member associations.
The proposal, however, triggered strong opposition, particularly among European football authorities, before it was abandoned.
Several European associations have since withdrawn their support for Infantino’s bid for another term. Wales, England, Serbia and Finland are among those reported to have reversed their previous backing, while Sweden has also opposed his candidacy.
The controversy has created a growing divide within international football, with Infantino facing particularly strong criticism in Europe while retaining considerable support in Africa and other regions.
In April, the Confederation of African Football said its 54 member associations had unanimously agreed to support Infantino’s re-election for the 2027–2031 term.
Infantino had earlier announced that he would contest the 2027 FIFA presidential election, saying he was seeking another term after a decade at the helm of world football.
The NFF has also previously backed the FIFA president. In April, the federation was reported to have joined other African football associations in supporting Infantino ahead of the election.
That background has added significance to Saturday’s clarification, following claims on social media that Nigeria had changed its position and aligned itself with European associations demanding Infantino’s departure.
The reports generated reactions among Nigerian football fans, with some users questioning the NFF’s position and others criticising the federation for publicly denying the claims.
The NFF, however, has maintained that it has never called for Infantino to step down.
The development comes as scrutiny of FIFA’s leadership continues ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the fallout from the abandoned commercial proposal expected to remain a major issue in the contest.
For now, the NFF has firmly placed itself on record: it says reports linking the federation to calls for Infantino’s resignation are false.
