Gianni Infantino's grip on the Fifa presidency is under unprecedented strain as football associations across the world take increasingly public positions either for or against his leadership, following the fallout from a now-abandoned scheme to sell stakes in Fifa's commercial operations to private investors.
The Republic of Ireland became the latest nation to formally withdraw its backing for Infantino's re-election bid, with the Football Association of Ireland confirming it had rescinded a letter of support issued earlier this year. "Following an FAI board meeting, the decision was taken to rescind the letter of support that the Association supplied earlier this year," the FAI said, adding that it had written to Fifa to explain its position. "The Association is grateful for the support that Fifa provides to Irish football, but recent events have raised significant concerns regarding governance, transparency and the lack of meaningful consultation."
Northern Ireland's Irish Football Association stopped short of a full withdrawal but aligned itself with Uefa's stance against Infantino. "We take our responsibilities as a member association of both Uefa and Fifa seriously," an IFA spokesperson said. "We support the current Uefa position on the matter and will continue to engage constructively on issues relating to football governance... We are considering these matters carefully and will continue to engage through the appropriate governance structures and channels."
The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland join a growing list of European federations turning against Infantino, including Wales, England, Finland, Serbia, Sweden, Croatia, Albania and Greece. Uefa has maintained its boycott of Fifa competitions, arguing there has been no guarantee that attempts