Loyalty Under Fire: Infantino Ally Vows to 'Take a Bullet' for FIFA Chief While Slashing World Cup Sell-Off Plan

Loyalty in football politics rarely comes more emphatically stated. Véron Mosengo-Omba, one of Gianni Infantino's most trusted allies and now president of the Congolese Football Federation (Fecofa), has declared he would "take a bullet" for the FIFA president — a striking show of devotion at a moment when Infantino faces mounting scrutiny over his leadership and commercial ambitions. Mosengo-Omba, who served as FIFA's chief member associations officer until 2021 before taking charge of football in his native DR Congo, expressed confidence that Infantino continues to enjoy the overwhelming backing of FIFA's all-powerful congress. That body — where each member association holds a vote — remains the ultimate arbiter of any president's fortunes, and the Congolese administrator's assessment suggests Infantino's grip on power remains firm despite the controversy swirling around him. Yet the endorsement came with a notable caveat. Mosengo-Omba openly criticised Infantino's Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative, the audacious proposal that sought to sell off more than 20% of the World Cup to private investors. The scheme drew fierce resistance from across the game — and the Fecofa president admitted he was among those who did not support it. The admission is significant. When a figure this close to the FIFA leadership breaks ranks on a flagship policy, it underlines just how divisive the sell-off plan proved to be, even inside Infantino's own circle of supporters. Critics had warned that handing private investors a stake in football's crown jewel risked compromising the sport's governance and setting a troubling precedent for its commercial future. The timing adds further weight to the comments. With the 2026 World Cup — the first to feature 48 teams and to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada — fast approaching, FIFA finds itself under an unusually bright spotlight. Every commercial decision, governance question and political manoeuvre is being dissected as the tournament looms on the horizon. Still, Mosengo-Omba's central message was one of steadfast loyalty. His willingness to defend Infantino personally, even while rejecting one of the president's most contentious projects, paints a picture of a leader whose coalition remains intact — held together not by uniform agreement on every policy, but by broader satisfaction with his stewardship of the global game. Whether that coalition holds as scrutiny intensifies in the countdown to 2026 remains to be seen. But as reported by the Guardian, those closest to the FIFA president believe his position remains as secure as ever — bullet-proof, one ally might even say.