UEFA backing down on its boycott threat is self-evidently a victory for the FIFA president Gianni Infantino. And that’s a defeat for football. The widespread desire for Infantino to resign was not just about his shameful plan to sell off parts of the World Cup. The desire was to call to account a president enthralled by the rich and powerful, whose reign has seen political and commercial interference in football. Take your pick of: Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami being parachuted into the Club World Cup; handing out a peace prize (that’s the Nobel Committee’s prerogative); the suspension of Cristiano Ronaldo’s ban so he was available for all the World Cup group stage for Portugal; and sponsored hydration breaks. Any more? Yes. The phone-call from the White House that led to the review of Folarin Balogun’s ban; the loss of respected FIFA staff like Kevin Lamour; and the vote-winning plan to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 which will kill qualifying, dilute further the quality of the tournament itself and reduce the number of nations that can host such a bloated event. And on it goes. There could well be more now that UEFA appears a paper tiger. Infantino will be emboldened by Nyon’s retreat. Yes, it’s good for the players that the Women’s Under-20s World Cup in Poland goes ahead. They've worked hard to get there. It's not their fault that Infantino's actions plunged the sport into civil war. And the fact that FIFA tournaments are going ahead with a slightly sheepish European flock is particularly good for Infantino. His supporters will be delighted. Those wavering may see UEFA blinking first and so throw their support behind Infantino. He now has more time to rebuild his support and ensure he gets voted back in when the presidential election is held in March. Four more years. Any resistance movement within FIFA will surely melt quietly away, knowing that UEFA was not maintaining its initial, lauded firm stance. Pity. When the game needed strong, enlightened leadership to step forward, UEFA stepped back. Pity.