FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces mounting pressure ahead of the March 18 election in Morocco, as national federations across Europe and the Americas withdraw their support following a scrapped World Cup private equity proposal and growing governance fallout.
The English and Welsh Associations Lead European Withdrawals
The Football Association of Wales became the first association to officially pull its support, with Sweden’s football association following shortly after.
Infantino performed a dramatic U-turn on the FIFA Forward Enterprises proposal after widespread backlash. Serbia’s Football Federation also confirmed its withdrawal, noting that after carefully considering events that have seriously damaged FIFA’s reputation, this is the only logical and rational move.
UEFA Threatens Legal Action and Potential Challenges
European football’s governing body is pursuing multiple fronts to pressure Infantino. In a letter dated July 31, UEFA stated it was actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints regarding the scrapped privatization plan. Law firms acting for UEFA have warned key FIFA administrators not to destroy any evidence that might be required in upcoming litigation.
Opposition leaders note that an emergency FIFA congress can be triggered if called for by 20 per cent of FIFA’s 211 member associations, opening the door for a potential vote of no confidence before the March election. Nominations for the presidency must be submitted by November 18.
Concacaf Rulls on Support While Victor Montagliani Considers a Bid
In North and Central America, all 41 members of Concacaf had previously submitted letters of endorsement for Infantino, but many are now considering withdrawing them following an emergency meeting. Four Concacaf members—the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica—are bidding to stage the 2031 Women’s World Cup, a hosting decision that must be approved by FIFA at an extraordinary general meeting in November.
Concacaf President Victor Montagliani has emerged as a leading potential unity candidate to challenge Infantino. Allies indicate that a challenger from outside Europe is necessary to avoid perceptions of a regional power grab. While Montagliani has called for a thorough governance review, he has prioritized his own upcoming Concacaf re-election campaign.
“That’s a long time away, first and foremost, And my focus has always been and will continue to be on Concacaf. I have my own re-election next year as well. I want to stand for that and obviously finish that off. I’ve still got a lot of work to do here at Concacaf. The future will be the future, whatever that is.”
Victor Montagliani, Concacaf President, via The Telegraph
Splintered Alliances Across Asia and Remaining Backers
While European federations mount a coordinated push, support outside Europe remains divided. The Asian Football Confederation criticized the handling of the private equity proposal, stating that it has exposed fundamental weaknesses in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed.
Despite this critique, financial powerhouses Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have publicly backed Infantino to stay, alongside countries such as Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Kuwait and Bhutan. Observers note that Infantino’s long-standing funding increases for smaller member nations continue to secure vital support outside traditional European and South American power centers as the race toward November’s nomination deadline accelerates.