French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo has announced that his organization has retracted their support for Gianni Infantino’s bid to keep hold of his FIFA president role.
Diallo stated that trust in Infantino’s handling of the sport has “been broken.” The decision was unanimously reached by the FFF’s executive committee on Thursday, a considerable setback to the current world football leader as he aims to defend his presidency in 2027.
France called for reform. The FFF president expressed that they had backed Infantino’s candidacy in June when he was the only declared candidate, but that changes subsequent to that announcement have altered France’s perspective.
He went on to claim that “The trust placed in the FIFA president has been broken” and argued that FIFA’s current methods of administering global football are not aligned with their views.
Criticism aimed at Infantino has been amplified following his recently abandoned proposal to sell a quarter stake of FIFA competition rights, which included the World Cup, to private investment funds. This deal was withdrawn in July due to backlash from several confederations. The lack of consultation with the various national federations on the proposal brought concerns regarding FIFA governance and process.
Other European federations such as the English FA and Italian FA have been among a group that has since moved their support away from Infantino.
Both UEFA (Union of European Football Associations), the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF are advocating for changes and a legitimate opposition candidate.
