The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has become the first national football federation to formally withdraw its backing for Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president, marking a significant escalation in the pressure facing world football’s governing body.
The move comes just days after Infantino abandoned a controversial proposal to sell a multibillion-pound stake in the FIFA World Cup and other major competitions to private investors, a plan that triggered widespread criticism from football authorities across the globe.
England Set to Follow with Formal Withdrawal
England is expected to join Wales by officially rescinding its previous endorsement of Infantino.
Reports indicate that the Football Association (FA) is preparing to notify the FIFA president that it no longer supports his candidacy for the 2027–2031 presidential term.
The FA had already publicly distanced itself from Infantino by issuing a statement calling for sweeping reforms in FIFA’s leadership and governance, declaring that it had lost confidence in the current administration.
Although withdrawing letters of support carries little legal weight, the coordinated action represents a strong political message that confidence in FIFA’s leadership is rapidly eroding.
FAW Cites Governance Failures Behind Decision
In its official statement, the Welsh association said recent shortcomings in governance, leadership, decision-making, stakeholder relations, communication and overall judgment had made it impossible to continue backing Infantino.
The FAW argued that football’s best interests had not been placed first and concluded that the FIFA president no longer had its confidence to continue leading the global game.
The decision positions Wales at the forefront of a growing movement demanding greater transparency and accountability within FIFA.
Failed World Cup Investment Plan Sparks Backlash
The growing opposition intensified after details emerged of Infantino’s proposal to create a new commercial enterprise by selling a £3.1 billion stake in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors.
The investment group was reportedly linked to Josh Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of United States President Donald Trump.
The proposal quickly encountered fierce resistance from UEFA, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), forcing Infantino to abandon the initiative.
Before shelving the project, Infantino had reportedly told FIFA’s member associations they could each receive approximately £30 million through the proposed investment structure if it gained sufficient backing.
UEFA Calls for Fundamental Leadership Review
Following FIFA’s decision to abandon the proposal, UEFA welcomed the withdrawal but insisted the controversy exposed deeper problems within the organisation.
European football’s governing body accused FIFA’s leadership of pursuing major commercial changes through opaque decision-making and argued that confidence in the current administration had been severely damaged.
UEFA stated that football authorities must now conduct a comprehensive review of FIFA’s governance, insisting that all options should remain available as efforts begin to restore trust in the organisation.
Several European associations, including England, Wales, the Netherlands and Norway, publicly supported UEFA’s position.
CONCACAF Joins Demand for Accountability
CONCACAF also welcomed the collapse of the investment proposal while praising its member associations for standing together against the plan.
The confederation argued that the controversy reflected a wider pattern of poor leadership and governance, calling for a full examination of how such a proposal advanced so far within FIFA.
Officials said the issue extended beyond one failed commercial project, describing it as evidence of leadership that had lost sight of football’s long-term interests.
Infantino Defends Intentions and Withdraws Proposal
Responding to mounting criticism, Infantino insisted the FIFA Forward Enterprise project had been designed to strengthen football development, particularly in countries requiring greater financial support.
He maintained that the proposal would only have proceeded with broad backing from FIFA’s member associations and after consultations with stakeholders.
However, acknowledging the divisions created by the plan, Infantino announced that it would not move forward, saying unity within world football had to remain the priority.
He also pledged to engage member associations, confederations and other stakeholders in renewed discussions aimed at strengthening the global game.
Presidential Future Faces New Uncertainty
Infantino, who became FIFA president in 2016 after succeeding Sepp Blatter, had previously appeared on course to secure a fourth term with broad support from most of FIFA’s 211 member associations.
However, recent events have dramatically altered the political landscape.
His leadership has also been weakened by the resignation of senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro and chief operating officer Kevin Lamour, while criticism has intensified over both governance concerns and his handling of the failed investment proposal.
Although UEFA and CONCACAF together account for enough member associations to trigger a vote of no confidence, they still fall short of the majority required to remove the FIFA president.
Several nations, including Kuwait, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Lebanon, have reaffirmed their backing for Infantino, while support from Africa and potentially South America could prove decisive in determining his political survival ahead of FIFA’s presidential election next March.
