English FA to withdraw support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino

English FA to withdraw support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino

The English Football Association (FA) is set to write to Gianni Infantino to withdraw its support for his re-election as FIFA president. This move follows a wider collapse of the FIFA president's proposal to sell a stake in the organization's commercial operations to private investors.

The FA issued a statement on Saturday endorsing the view of UEFA, the governing body for European football, that confidence in Infantino’s leadership has been lost. The controversy centers on a plan to sell a stake in FIFA’s commercial and event operations to an investment fund led by Joshua Kushner. While one source describes the stake as 21 per cent for $4.2 billion (£3.1bn), another report describes the proposal as a 20 per cent stake in a new commercial entity.

In a statement, the FA said:

"It is time for a full and robust review of FIFA’s leadership and governance to ensure that the global game is run transparently, for the benefit of all 211 member nations and with the long term stewardship of football at its heart."

The FA, via nytimes.com

The proposal, known as FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE), reportedly offered member nations $40 million to accept the deal, with $20 million available as early as September. The plan was anchored by Thrive Eternal, a venture capital firm founded by Kushner, who is the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Infantino performed a U-turn on Friday, scrapping the FFE plans after widespread opposition. In a statement, Infantino said the project had created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place. He stated that his purpose has always been - and will always be - to unite and improve.

The backlash extended beyond UEFA. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF, which represents North and Central America and the Caribbean, also rejected the plan. Together, these three confederations represent 143 soccer associations—more than half of FIFA's 211 member nations. Concerns were raised regarding a lack of consultation before the proposal was announced.

Internal Turmoil and Legal Threats

The dispute has caused instability within FIFA’s own ranks. Senior advisor Carlos Cordeiro has resigned, and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour reportedly accused Infantino of misleading staff. Lamour told the Associated Press that the FFE was the project of one person.

UEFA has threatened FIFA with legal action and has vowed that its members would boycott the World Cup if the FFE plans were not scrapped. Potential boycotts include the 2027 Women's World Cup and the 2030 FIFA World Cup. On July 31, a law firm representing UEFA sent letters to FIFA and Joshua Kushner demanding that all documents related to the plans not be destroyed.

UEFA stated it is actively considering legal actions, arbitration and/or regulatory complaints arising from the proposed plan.

Erosion of Presidential Support

Until the FFE scandal, Infantino appeared likely to run unopposed for the 2027-31 cycle, having won in 2019 and 2023. He previously posted on Instagram that he had pledges of support from more than 200 of the 211 member associations.

That support is now fracturing. On Monday, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) formally withdrew its support. The FAW stated that failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgement led them to believe Infantino had lost their confidence.

Serbia’s Football Federation (FSS) also confirmed its withdrawal on Monday. The FSS noted that while it provided written support on May 25 of this year, the events of the recent period had seriously damaged the reputation of both FIFA and its president.

Additionally, the Romanian Football Federation announced its withdrawal. This is considered significant as its president, Razvan Burleanu, is a member of the FIFA Council.

Despite this, some support remains. Football bodies from Asia and Africa, including Qatar, Egypt, and Morocco, have publicly backed his leadership.

Path to the 2027 Election

The FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco. To be re-elected, Infantino would need 106 votes from the 211 members. If the bloc of 143 nations from UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC remains united in opposition, he cannot win.

Potential challengers are emerging. Victor Montagliani, the president of CONCACAF and a FIFA vice-president, is seriously considering a bid. European officials have also mentioned Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain, as a preferred alternative, though his candidacy may be complicated.

There is also the possibility of an emergency move to remove the 56-year-old before the election. A no-confidence vote could be triggered if 19 of the 37 FIFA Council members call for a meeting within two weeks.

Nominations for the March election must be submitted by November 18.