Rabat – The English Football Association is preparing to formally withdraw its support for Gianni Infantino’s re-election as FIFA president, adding to the growing revolt against his leadership following the collapse of a plan to sell a stake in FIFA’s commercial operations.
The FA is expected to write directly to Infantino confirming that it no longer backs his candidacy for the 2027–2031 presidential term.
The decision follows an FA statement supporting UEFA’s call for a comprehensive review of FIFA’s governance and leadership. The English body said world football should be managed transparently and for the long-term benefit of FIFA’s 211 member associations.
England’s move had not yet been formally completed at the time of reporting, but Reuters confirmed that the FA intends to withdraw its support.
European federations turn against Infantino
Wales became the first national federation to publicly retract its endorsement, saying recent failures in governance, leadership, communication and decision-making had caused Infantino to lose its confidence.
Serbia and Sweden announced similar decisions on Monday. Serbia said it had initially supported Infantino in writing on May 25 but reconsidered after events that it believed had seriously damaged the reputations of both FIFA and its president.
The Swedish Football Association said recurring problems involving transparency, governance and management meant it no longer had confidence in Infantino’s leadership.
The withdrawals followed Infantino’s failed FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which would have created a new company responsible for FIFA’s commercial and event operations, including World Cup broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing and hospitality.
The plan sought to raise as much as $4.2 billion by selling private investors a stake of approximately 20% in the proposed company. Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Eternal had been identified as the intended lead investor.
FIFA abandoned the project on Friday after strong opposition from UEFA, Concacaf, the Asian Football Confederation and several national associations.
UEFA welcomed the withdrawal but said the controversy could not end there. European football’s governing body stated that the current FIFA leadership had lost its confidence and called for a fundamental review of how the proposal had been developed.
UEFA accused FIFA of attempting to advance an opaque deal without adequate consultation. It also said it would work with other football stakeholders on an alternative approach to distributing development funding through the existing FIFA Forward programme.
Morocco to host decisive election
Infantino announced in April that he intended to seek another four-year term. He first became FIFA president in 2016 and was subsequently re-elected without opposition in 2019 and 2023.
Before the investment proposal became public, Infantino had claimed to possess letters of support from more than 200 of FIFA’s 211 member associations. The latest withdrawals show that those endorsements are not binding and can be reversed before the election.
The presidential vote is scheduled to take place in Morocco on March 18, 2027, giving the unfolding leadership dispute particular relevance to the Kingdom. Candidates must enter the race by November 18.
Concacaf President Victor Montagliani is reportedly considering challenging Infantino. Other possible candidates discussed in international football circles include Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness. None has formally announced a campaign.
Infantino had appeared likely to run unopposed again, but the loss of support from several European federations has introduced significant uncertainty into a contest that previously looked like a formality.
The number of associations withdrawing their backing remains small compared with FIFA’s full membership. However, England’s expected decision carries considerable political weight and could encourage more European federations to reconsider their endorsements before the November nomination deadline.
