FIFA presidential election plans have suffered another setback after the French Football Federation (FFF) withdrew its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid for a fourth term, adding France to a growing group of European football associations distancing themselves from the FIFA president.
The FFF had backed Infantino in June, but changed its position after the FIFA president’s proposal to sell stakes in major FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors triggered strong opposition across European football. England, Italy, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland had already withdrawn their support.
FFF president Philippe Diallo said the decision reflected concerns about the way FIFA handled a proposal with potentially far-reaching consequences for the sport.
“A project with such a significant impact on the future of football could not be envisaged without comprehensive information, in-depth consultation and a fully transparent decision-making process,” Diallo said in a statement.
He added that FIFA’s governance “does not live up to the standards that football represents”.
Infantino ultimately abandoned the investment proposal following the backlash. But for the FFF, dropping the plan did not settle the broader concerns surrounding FIFA’s leadership and decision-making.
The federation said FIFA’s governance could not yet be considered resolved and announced plans to consult a wide range of football stakeholders, including continental confederations, national associations, players, supporters and governance specialists.
The stated aim is to develop proposals for a broader reform of FIFA’s governance, with a focus on restoring confidence, improving transparency and protecting the independence of world football’s governing body.
The dispute has created an unusual divide ahead of the FIFA presidential election, which is scheduled for March, when Infantino is expected to seek a fourth term.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, has been among the strongest critics of the abandoned investment plan and had threatened to boycott FIFA competitions. The Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf have also called for Infantino to step down.
Infantino nevertheless retains important support. South America’s Conmebol and the Confederation of African Football, CAF, remain behind the FIFA president, meaning the opposition to his leadership is not shared across all of FIFA’s six continental confederations.
France’s decision is significant because the FFF is one of FIFA’s founding members and had previously committed itself to supporting Infantino. Its reversal therefore goes beyond the abandoned investment proposal and points to a wider concern about how FIFA is governed.
The FFF said it intends to contribute to what it described as an important debate over the future of football, its regulation and its development. Its planned consultations could add pressure for changes to FIFA’s decision-making structures as Infantino prepares for another presidential election.
The immediate controversy over private investment in FIFA competitions may have ended with the proposal being abandoned, but the political fallout has not. With several European federations now withholding their support and other parts of world football continuing to back Infantino, the next FIFA presidential election is shaping up to be a contest not only over leadership, but also over how the global game should be governed.
