FIFA boss Infantino underneath stress as UK FA member pulls assist
(Image: PA)
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under growing pressure to resign after a British football association became the first FIFA member to officially pull its support for him.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has written to FIFA to remove its backing of Infantino’s re-election bid. The Italian is up for election next March, but now faces an uphill struggle to stay in power following a massive backlash over his plans ‘sell off’ the World Cup.
Even after cancelling the project, which would have created a private company open to investment to run FIFA’s competitions like the World Cup, Italian Infantino is rapidly losing support from major players in the game.
It was reportedly going to be led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Infantino’s plans were revealed by the media before some high-ranking FIFA officials were even informed of his intentions.
The revelations prompted a wave of anger against the plans. UEFA, the organisation which runs European football, said it would boycott FIFA competitions until the plans were killed, and CONCACAF, its North American counterpart, also criticised the plans. Key advisers to Infantino also resigned in protest.
Wales failed to make the 2026 World Cup, but did appear at Qatar 2022(Image: Stuart Leggett/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Now, the first FIFA member has reportedly pulled its support of Infantino.
The FAW also backed a boycott of FIFA competitions orchestrated by European governing body, UEFA, in response to Infantino’s plan to create a private company, open to investment, to run its headline competitions to raise billions of pounds.
The association told Sky News it “hereby confirms its withdrawal of support for the candidature of Mr Gianni Infantino, for re-election as FIFA President for the 2027-2031 term.
“The recent failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgement have led us to a position where Mr Infantino has lost the confidence of the FAW to remain at the helm of world football.
“Failing to put the best interests of football first is a failure we cannot accept.
“The Football Association of Wales has written to FIFA to inform them of their position.”
Other British football associations are yet to follow suit, but all approved the UEFA boycott. However, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has gone one step further and said Infantino is ‘the wrong man’ to lead FIFA.
