By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: FIFA.
In a significant development, The English Football Association (FA) is set to write to Gianni Infantino to withdraw its support for him to be re-elected as FIFA president.
It follows the Welsh FA becoming the first football association to officially withdraw support for Infantino’s re-election.
“The Football Association of Wales told Sky News it “hereby confirms its withdrawal of support for the candidature of Mr Gianni Infantino, for re-election as FIFA president for the 2027-2031 term”.
Wales holds one of the eight votes on the International Football Association Board, which sets the laws of the sport and hosted Infantino for the annual meeting in February.
Many more letters and announcements are likely in the next few hours and days and it is all designed to put maximum pressure on Infantino.
So far, Infantino has shown no sign of being ready to resign in disgrace and he has been trying to shore up his position by asking for support from the federations who still back him – mostly in Africa, Asia and South America.
Even if Infantino does manage to survive in the short term, he is now almost certain to face at least one challenger at the FIFA presidential election in Morocco in March 2027.
Infantino’s leadership had already been publicly questioned by football’s governing bodies in Europe, North and Central America and the Caribbean, with Uefa and Concacaf releasing statements criticising the plans.
Fifa and Infantino wanted to create a commercial subsidiary to run its main events, including its World Cups, and external investors would have been able to buy stakes in it.
World football’s governing body said it would “invite third parties to make minority, non-controlling investments” in a new subsidiary called Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).
As the pressure grows on Infantino with Serbia and Finland also withdrawing their support, Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait and Sri Lanka have pledged their support for his FIFA leadership to continue.
Uefa has 55 votes, Africa 54, Asia 46, Concacaf 35, Oceania 11 and Conmebol 10.
The Asian Football Federation (AFC) has said it stands in “solidarity” with Uefa and Concacaf, while Africa, Conmebol and Oceania have not criticised Infantino’s plan.
However, the Fifa Council could try to force Infantino to resign through an emergency meeting. That would be triggered if 19 of the 37 Fifa Council members call for one and the meeting must take place within two weeks.
Uefa has nine members, AFC has seven, Concacaf five, Africa has six, Conmebol five and Oceania three. It is completed by Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom.