English Premier League
English FA withdraws support for Infantino’s re-election as FIFA pressure grows
The English Football Association has formally withdrawn its backing for Gianni Infantino to be re-elected as FIFA president, adding to growing opposition to his leadership ahead of next year’s vote.
The FA is sending a letter to Infantino informing him of its decision, according to The Athletic. The move follows a statement issued by the English governing body on Saturday in support of UEFA’s position that confidence in FIFA’s leadership has been lost.
UEFA’s concerns centre on Infantino’s attempt to sell a 21% stake in FIFA’s commercial operations and special events to an investment fund owned by Joshua Kushner for $4.2bn (£3.1bn).
The FA said: “The time has come for a thorough and robust review of FIFA’s leadership and governance, to ensure that the global game is managed transparently and in the interests of all 211 member associations, with the long-term administration of the game at the heart of its objectives.”
Infantino dramatically abandoned the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprises project on Friday after facing widespread opposition from within football, including Kevin Lamour, FIFA’s chief operating officer.
Lamour told the Associated Press: “It is a one-person project.”
Although the plan has been withdrawn, Infantino continues to face mounting pressure. The Football Association of Wales became one of the first of FIFA’s 211 member associations to formally withdraw its support for his re-election next year on Monday.
The Serbian Football Association also confirmed on Monday that it was ending its support for Infantino. In an official statement, it said: “We would like to remind you that we gave Mr Infantino written support on 25 May this year, but after carefully considering the events that have seriously damaged the reputation of FIFA and its president during the past period, this is the only logical and rational step.”
The Swiss Football Association, representing Infantino’s country of birth, said it had also begun reassessing its position.
“We wrote a letter of support before the widely discussed events during the World Cup, which we also found concerning,” it said. “As a result, additional discussions are currently taking place internally and externally with other associations.”
The Swiss FA added: “Naturally, the events of last week are being taken into account during these discussions. In addition, we are seeking to hold another personal exchange of views with the FIFA president, and we will continue to review developments surrounding FIFA until the election scheduled for 18 March 2027.”
Other European football associations are expected to follow the Welsh and English bodies in coordinating their response with UEFA. The European governing body previously said its members would boycott the World Cup if the FIFA Forward Enterprises proposal was not cancelled.
UEFA has also threatened legal action against FIFA over the abandoned project.
A law firm acting on UEFA’s behalf sent separate letters to FIFA and Joshua Kushner on 31 July, demanding that no documents connected with the plans be destroyed. Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
The Athletic reported last week that the overwhelming majority of CONCACAF’s members either no longer have confidence in Infantino or are losing confidence in him.
Infantino announced at FIFA’s annual congress in April that he intended to stand for what would be his final term as president. Before the FIFA Forward Enterprises controversy emerged, he appeared to have a firm grip on the global game and posted on Instagram that he had received pledges of support from more than 200 of FIFA’s 211 member associations for the 2027 election.
The 56-year-old had been expected to face no opposition for the 2027-31 term, as was the case in 2019 and 2023.
However, Victor Montagliani, the CONCACAF president and current FIFA vice-president, is seriously considering challenging Infantino for the presidency.
Candidates for the election must be submitted by 18 November.
