The English Football Association has confirmed it has sent a letter formally withdrawing its support for Gianni Infantino's re-election as Fifa president, deepening the crisis surrounding the governing body's leadership.
The move, understood to have been planned since the start of the week, comes despite Infantino issuing a personal apology over his now-abandoned plan to privatise parts of the World Cup. Senior Fifa figures had rallied behind the Swiss-Italian following an emergency meeting on Wednesday, publicly reaffirming their confidence in him. But that show of unity did nothing to alter the FA's stance, according to reporting from The Independent.
Wales was the first national association to break ranks, withdrawing its support for Infantino on Monday in a bid to pressure him out of office. Serbia, Sweden and Finland quickly followed with similar declarations, signalling growing unrest among Fifa's member federations.
The controversy stems from Infantino's decision last Friday night to shelve his contentious proposal after it drew fierce opposition from three of football's continental confederations. The plan would have seen the creation of an entity called Fifa Forward Enterprise, with a 20 percent stake sold to outside investors. Joshua Kushner's Thrive Eternal was reportedly lined up as the primary investor, a detail that drew scrutiny given his family connection to US President Donald Trump through brother Jared Kushner. Trump himself denied discussing the sell-off with Infantino before it was withdrawn.
Both the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) and the Asian Football Confederation criticised Infantino for failing to consult them before unveiling the plan. Uefa went further, threatening to boycott all Fifa competitions—including next year's Women's World Cup and the 2030 World Cup—unless the proposal was dropped.
Even after Infantino backed down, Uefa said it had lost faith in his leadership, condemning what it described as a "shabby, backroom deal." The European body has since hardened its boycott threat in response to Fifa's continued backing of its president. Global players' union FifPro and South American confederation Conmebol, both previously supportive of Infantino, have also turned sharply critical in the wake of the affair.
The political fallout has extended beyond football's own institutions. Prime Minister Andy Burnham described Infantino as the "wrong man" to lead Fifa, while the FA has demanded a "full and robust review" of his tenure as president.
Internal dissent has compounded the pressure on Infantino. Senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned in protest at the privatisation plan, and Fifa's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, accused the president of having "deceived" staff at the organisation over the initiative.
Despite mounting calls from various quarters for Infantino to step down, he remains in position and is currently set to stand for re-election in March 2027. Whether the wave of withdrawn endorsements from national associations will translate into a genuine challenge to his leadership, or force an earlier reckoning, remains to be seen as the governing body grapples with one of the most serious crises of confidence in its recent history.
Based on reporting from The Independent.