FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing an escalating leadership crisis after England’s Football Association (FA) joined a growing European revolt against his administration, moving to withdraw its support for his re-election while UEFA threatened legal action over the now-abandoned plan to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup to private investors.
The latest developments mark a significant escalation in the fallout from Infantino’s controversial proposal to spin off FIFA’s commercial rights into a private investment vehicle, a plan that was shelved last week following widespread opposition from football governing bodies around the world.
According to reports, the Football Association is preparing to formally notify Infantino that it is withdrawing an earlier letter endorsing his bid for another term as FIFA president. The move follows similar decisions by the Football Association of Wales and the Swedish Football Association, signalling a coordinated effort by European football to pile pressure on the FIFA chief ahead of next year’s presidential election.
The growing rebellion comes just days after UEFA wrote to Infantino warning that it is actively considering legal proceedings over the controversial World Cup sell-off proposal.
In a letter dated July 31, Europe’s football governing body informed FIFA that it was “actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints” arising from the abandoned commercialisation plan.
UEFA also warned key members of FIFA’s administration not to destroy documents or other evidence that could become relevant in any future legal proceedings.
The legal threat follows FIFA’s decision to abandon plans to establish a $20 billion commercial company that would have allowed private investors to acquire a 20 per cent stake in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions.
Although Infantino reversed course after fierce opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), CONCACAF and several senior FIFA officials, European football authorities now appear determined to hold him politically accountable for what they regard as a major governance failure.
The Football Association of Wales became the first national federation to officially withdraw its support for Infantino’s re-election.
In a strongly worded statement, the Welsh governing body said it had completely lost confidence in the FIFA president’s leadership.
“The recent failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgement have led us to a position where Mr Infantino has lost the confidence of the FAW to remain at the helm of world football,” the Football Association of Wales said.
It added: “Failing to put the best interests of football first is a failure we cannot accept.”
The Welsh FA has formally communicated its decision to FIFA, while Sweden has since followed suit.
The expected withdrawal of England’s support is viewed as an even more significant setback for Infantino, given the FA’s influence within global football and the symbolic importance of one of the sport’s oldest governing bodies distancing itself from the FIFA president.
Reports indicate that more European football associations are expected to revoke their letters of endorsement in the coming days as part of a coordinated campaign to weaken Infantino’s position before the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March in Morocco.
Despite the mounting pressure, Infantino has shown no indication that he intends to resign.
Instead, he is understood to be seeking renewed backing from football federations across Africa, Asia and South America, regions where he continues to enjoy considerable support.
However, even if he survives the immediate political storm, the latest developments have significantly increased the likelihood that he will face at least one challenger when FIFA members elect their next president.
The controversy represents a dramatic reversal for Infantino, who only weeks ago presided over the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup, presenting the trophy to champions Spain after the tournament’s final in New Jersey.
European football leaders now argue that the failed World Cup commercialisation proposal exposed serious shortcomings in FIFA’s governance and decision-making processes.
UEFA has already condemned what it described as “secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game,” while insisting it is developing measures “to make sure that it cannot occur again.”
The governing body has also indicated that every available option remains under consideration as it seeks greater accountability within FIFA.
The controversy has also raised questions within England over why the FA initially endorsed Infantino’s re-election bid, particularly after supporting a candidate who was, at the time, expected to run unopposed.
For now, the FIFA president remains in office, but the coordinated withdrawal of support by leading European football associations, coupled with the threat of legal action from UEFA, has transformed what began as opposition to a commercial proposal into a broader challenge to Infantino’s leadership of world football.
