The French Football Federation (FFF) withdrew its support for Gianni Infantino's bid for a fourth term as Fifa president on Thursday, criticising his plans to bring private investors into Fifa's commercial operations and the way he runs the 122-year-old organisation.
Issued on: 10/09/2026 - 15:35
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In June, the FFF said it would back the 56-year-old in the presidential election on 18 March. But after an executive committee meeting at its headquarters in central Paris on Thursday, the FFF said it no longer supported Infantino, citing his business plan and the way it was presented. "The FFF is calling for the development, in consultation with the confederations, national federations and all stakeholders – including players and supporters – of a vision for world football aimed at undertaking far-reaching reform of Fifa governance," the federation said. "The consultations will aim to put forward proposals for a fundamental transformation of Fifa governance, with the goal of restoring trust, strengthening transparency, and ensuring the independence and exemplary conduct of football’s global governing body." Controversial summer Infantino came under fire during the 2026 World Cup after US President Donald Trump intervened in the lifting of a one-match ban for US striker Folarin Balogun, who had been given a red card. He faced further criticism soon after the World Cup final when media reports revealed a plan to spin off Fifa's commercial businesses – including the men's and women's World Cups and Club World Cups – into a €17 billion subsidiary, with 20 percent owned by private investors including the Kushner family, which has links to Trump. Infantino initially criticised what he described as media distortions of the proposals before withdrawing them. European football's governing body Uefa led opposition to the plan. It said its 55 members – including 2026 World Cup winners Spain and semi-finalists France and England – would boycott all Fifa competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups, if the proposals were not abandoned. Concacaf, which organises football in Central and North America and the Caribbean, joined Uefa's opposition, along with the Asian Football Confederation. "The conditions for support are no longer in place," the FFF said on Thursday. "A series of developments directly involving Fifa’s governance and its president emerged after the FFF expressed its support on 29 June in complete contradiction with the fundamental principles of good governance and with the values of football." No go for Infantino: how Fifa's World Cup private investment plan imploded Fourth-term bid Last Sunday, a day after the start of the women's under-20 World Cup in Poland, Fifa issued a statement reiterating Infantino's intention to run for a fourth term. On Monday, Belgium's football association, one of Fifa's seven founding members along with France, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland, withdrew its support for Infantino. It cited his handling of Balogun's red card, which allowed the US striker to play a last-16 match against Belgium, as well as his business plan. The secrecy surrounding the proposals was also a problem, FFF president Philippe Diallo said."A project with such a significant impact on the future of football could not be considered without full information, thorough consultation and a completely transparent decision-making process," Diallo said. "Fifa’s governance is not commensurate with what football represents. Although the project has definitively been abandoned following coordinated action within Uefa, together with several other confederations, the issue of Fifa governance cannot be considered resolved." Football federations in Sweden, Scotland and Italy have said they want Infantino to stand down. World Cup bosses wipe out ban for US striker Balogun on eve of Belgium tie Support beyond Europe Infantino still has the support of the Confederation of African Football and South America's Conmebol. He is the only declared candidate for the election and requires a majority of votes from Fifa's 211 affiliated federations. If successful, he will remain in charge until 2031, completing a 15-year reign as the sport's most powerful administrator. Only three men have remained at the helm for longer – Jules Rimet, the Frenchman who co-founded Fifa in 1904 and organised the inaugural World Cup in 1930, Joao Havelange and Sepp Blatter.
