Gianni Infantino is losing support among national football federations ahead of FIFA's presidential election, scheduled for March 18, 2027, with Wales and Serbia among the first to withdraw their backing for the Swiss official.
The criticism followed FIFA's decision to award its Peace Prize to Donald Trump, a series of controversial decisions during this year's World Cup, and Infantino's push to move World Cup rights out of FIFA into a private company before selling shares to private investors. Representatives of CONCACAF, UEFA and AFC opposed that plan.
The English Football Association had been one of Infantino's most important allies, but according to Martyn Ziegler, a journalist at The Times, the English federation is preparing to send Infantino a letter withdrawing its previous statement of support for his re-election, Ziegler wrote on X.
Wales becomes first to withdraw backing
According to the BBC, the Football Association of Wales became the first federation to formally withdraw its letter of support for Infantino's candidacy for the 2027-2031 term. In a statement cited by the BBC, the FAW said recent failures in governance, procedures, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communication and common sense had led it to conclude that Infantino had lost its trust and could not be allowed to remain in charge of world football, adding that failing to put football's interests first was a failure it could not accept.
Serbia and Sweden follow suit
The Serbian Football Association also withdrew its support in an official statement, noting it had given Infantino written backing on May 25 but that, after reviewing events that damaged the reputation of both FIFA and its president, withdrawing support was the only logical and rational step. It said the future of world football must be based on transparency, dialogue, mutual respect and partnership among confederations and national associations, and that no decision of strategic importance should be made without broad consensus.
Sweden's federation president, Simon Aestrom, said in a statement cited by Aftonbladet that Sweden no longer trusted Infantino's leadership.
Poland yet to take a position
The Polish Football Association has not yet stated a clear position. It previously joined other UEFA federations in backing a boycott of FIFA competitions over Infantino's push to sell part of the World Cup rights, but has not commented further. Earlier reports said all UEFA members except Germany, Romania and Norway had backed Infantino, but the situation has since shifted, and unless Infantino changes course, he could face defeat in the upcoming election.
