The leadership of Gianni Infantino as FIFA president is facing a significant crisis following the withdrawal of support from key football associations, including those of England and Wales. This development comes amid controversy surrounding a recent initiative to sell stakes in a FIFA subsidiary to private investors, a plan that has since been abandoned due to widespread opposition.

Infantino, who has served as FIFA president since 2016 and is seeking re-election for a fourth term at a congress scheduled in Morocco in March 2027, proposed creating a commercial entity, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), designed to run FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. The plan would have allowed external investors to acquire minority stakes in this subsidiary. The proposal, however, was met with strong resistance from several continental football bodies, notably UEFA and CONCACAF, and prompted warnings of potential legal action.

UEFA has demanded that Infantino and related FIFA officials preserve all documents linked to the FFE initiative and has indicated it may pursue legal or regulatory measures concerning the matter. UEFA’s critical stance is shared by CONCACAF, which has publicly questioned Infantino’s leadership and, along with other bodies, cast doubt on the likelihood of his re-election. The Asian Football Confederation has also expressed serious concerns about FIFA’s current governance.

The Football Association (FA) of England and the Football Association of Wales (FAW), both of which had previously endorsed Infantino’s re-election bid, have now formally withdrawn their support. The FA is in the process of communicating its change in position directly to FIFA. Wales cited failures in governance, leadership, stakeholder engagement, and judgment as reasons for its withdrawal. The FAW statement emphasized that putting the best interests of football first is fundamental and signaled a loss of confidence in Infantino’s ability to continue leading world football. Serbia’s football association also publicly reversed its support, criticizing the damage to FIFA’s reputation and credibility.

While many European associations are shifting away from Infantino, some national bodies within other confederations have yet to follow suit. The Swiss Football Association, Infantino’s home association, has stopped short of fully withdrawing support, instead seeking further dialogue with him before making a final decision. Nonetheless, only a small number of FIFA’s 211 member nations have so far publicly maintained support for the incumbent president since the collapse of the FFE plan.

The controversy has rekindled calls for a comprehensive review of FIFA’s leadership and governance structures. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has also urged Infantino to step down amid the growing backlash.

With the election approaching, the prospects of Infantino securing the necessary 106 votes to remain in office appear increasingly uncertain. Meanwhile, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is considered a potential candidate to succeed him should the leadership change materialize. As the situation develops, there are indications that wider global consensus is needed to expedite a transition and restore confidence in FIFA’s governance.