Swiss FA withdraws support for Gianni Infantino’s bid to remain FIFA president

The Swiss Football Association has withdrawn its backing for Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president, in a significant challenge from the country where the world governing body is headquartered.

The association’s central committee said it had reversed its previous position, announced in June, when it declared its support for the Italian-Swiss candidate. It confirmed in an official statement that it would no longer support Infantino in the forthcoming presidential election.

The decision followed “a comprehensive reassessment of developments over the past few months”, the Swiss FA said.

“From our point of view, several events raise fundamental questions about leadership, governance, transparency and decision-making processes within FIFA,” the statement added.

The association specifically referred to “issues concerning the clarity of the rules and the integrity of competitions in the Balogun case”.

That was a reference to Infantino overturning the sending-off of the American player before a last-16 match at the most recent World Cup. The intervention prompted widespread debate over the FIFA president’s involvement in technical decisions.

The decision removes a particularly symbolic source of support from Infantino’s attempt to continue in office. Switzerland is his country of birth and is also home to FIFA’s headquarters.

Swiss FA calls for greater accountability

The Swiss Football Association said credibility, transparency and accountability were essential to restoring confidence in the administration of international football.

“For us, credibility, transparency, accountability and the effective participation of the relevant bodies, in accordance with the statutes, are fundamental conditions for building trust in the management of international football and the integrity of FIFA,” it said.

Peter Knabel, president of the Swiss Football Association, said FIFA’s leadership should meet the highest standards of transparency, traceability and institutional accountability.

He added that he “cannot accept responsibility for continuing to support Gianni Infantino’s candidacy”.

Despite the strength of its criticism, the Swiss FA said it recognised its particular responsibility as the association representing the country that hosts FIFA’s headquarters.

It said it would continue to call for “transparency, reliable structures, rule-based decision-making processes, and the strengthening of a united and ethical international football community”.

The withdrawal was reported by Agence France-Presse on 30 September 2026, which described the loss of support from the Swiss FA as carrying strong symbolic significance for Infantino’s attempt to remain at the head of FIFA.