France withdraws support for Fifa’s beleaguered Infantino

France became the latest European country to officially withdraw its support on Thursday, September 10, after the Executive Committee of the French Football Federation (FFF) decided not to support his re-election

Among others, have withdrawn their support or announced that they will not back Infantino for a new term, according to The Guardian and L’Équipe.

Italy withdrew its support in August, saying the decision stemmed from Infantino’s recent initiatives on the governance and development of international competitions.

The Italian Football Federation stated that it wanted to work together with UEFA and other European federations on a model based on dialogue, transparency and shared responsibility, L’Équipe reported.

Belgium also announced it will not support Infantino. Its federation questioned the “lack of transparency” and governance problems within FIFA. The decision came after the controversy surrounding the case of US footballer Folarin Balogun during the 2026 World Cup.

 

Growing European opposition intensified after the controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, through which Infantino aimed to open up to 20% of the commercial rights to FIFA competitions to private investors . The initiative provoked a strong reaction from UEFA and several national federations and was ultimately abandoned, according to Reuters.

For the French Football Federation, the project was one of the main reasons for reconsidering its support. Its president, Philippe Diallo, questioned the way Infantino promoted the initiative and expressed concern about the way decisions are made within the organization.

Africa and South America remain key blocs for his Reuters notes that, despite the loss of European support, Infantino would still have enough votes to seek re-election in March 2027.

The elections will be held on March 18, 2027 in Rabat, Morocco, and the deadline for submitting candidacies is November 18, 2026.

Infantino remains the only declared candidate, while his opponents seek an alternative to compete against him.