Welsh Football Association chief executive Noel Mooney has publicly pushed back against Fifa president Gianni Infantino, questioning his reform claims and calling for a much larger share of World Cup revenue to be redistributed to national associations.
The intervention comes amid mounting scrutiny of Infantino following the collapse of his Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, a plan that would have seen private investors take stakes in the World Cup and other major competitions. The idea triggered widespread criticism across football's governing bodies before being shelved.
Wales' governing body was among the earliest national associations to withdraw its support for Infantino's bid to secure a fourth term as Fifa president. Infantino is set to stand for re-election in March 2027, with rival candidates given until 18 November to put themselves forward as alternatives.
Speaking on BBC Radio Wales Phone In, Mooney confirmed the FAW's position, making clear the organisation has no intention of backing Infantino's re-election campaign. He argued that the role of Fifa president should be about safeguarding the integrity of the sport rather than pursuing commercial deals involving private capital.
"With the Fifa president, you're looking for a moral guardian of the game," Mooney said. "You're not looking for somebody to sell off parts of the game."
Mooney went further, insisting that Fifa's substantial financial reserves make outside investment unnecessary, and that the governing body should instead be channelling more funds directly into grassroots football infrastructure.
"The World Cup does not need private equity. They have billions and billions of dollars in reserve," he said. "Give us the money. Let us build the pitches. You've got loads of reserves. Let's have it as soon as possible."
The FAW chief also revealed he had raised the issue directly with Fifa leadership at a summit held in Miami ahead of the World Cup, where representatives of all 211 member federations gathered. According to Mooney, he used the platform to highlight the scale of revenue growth generated by recent tournaments and to demand a proportional increase in funding for national associations.
"I stood up at that meeting and said, look, I mean, the revenue for Qatar was around eight billion," Mooney explained. "The revenue for this World Cup in Canada, USA and Mexico is 16 billion. Therefore, it's 100% increase in revenue, give us 100% growth."
His comments reflect broader unease among some national federations about how Fifa's growing commercial income is being distributed, particularly as the governing body faces criticism over transparency and governance following the FFE controversy.
Infantino, who has led Fifa since 2016, now faces a period of uncertainty as opposition figures work against the clock to identify a viable challenger before the November deadline. Whether a credible alternative emerges remains to be seen, but Mooney's remarks signal that discontent among member associations extends beyond the failed private equity scheme to deeper questions about how football's global governing body shares its wealth.
The FAW's stance places Wales among a growing number of national associations openly questioning Fifa's direction under Infantino, setting the stage for a contentious build-up to the 2027 presidential election.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.