Macron contact adds pressure on Infantino as FIFA investment plan collapses

Reports in France say President Emmanuel Macron helped encourage the French Football Federation to adopt a tougher position towards Gianni Infantino’s proposed FIFA investment company, a plan that has now been abandoned after widespread opposition.

According to L’Equipe, Macron urged French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo to take a firmer line against the proposal. Diallo had initially described the project as “a worrying project”, but was later encouraged to intensify his opposition after his opening position was considered less forceful than expected.

A source familiar with the matter told the newspaper that Diallo received direct backing to become more involved in the dispute.

“The President of the Republic encouraged him to engage more strongly in this battle,” the source said.

Infantino’s proposal involved the creation of a commercial company linked to FIFA that would be open to investment from private-sector organisations. The project was ultimately dropped amid growing resistance from national associations and European football authorities.

UEFA had threatened to boycott the World Cup if FIFA went ahead with the plan, after an emergency meeting was held to assess its possible consequences. The threat represented a major escalation in the dispute and underlined the extent of opposition to the project across Europe.

The French Football Federation said Diallo had played a “central role” in coordinating positions with his European counterparts and UEFA president as efforts gathered pace to prevent the plan from being implemented.

The dispute also produced a direct challenge to Infantino’s leadership, with the message from UEFA reported as: “Your resignation or a vote to remove you!”

Macron is also reported to have contacted Infantino himself, stressing the importance of preserving unity across the global game.

The French president’s involvement came as Diallo’s position changed significantly. He had initially been viewed as a likely supporter of Infantino, who is preparing to stand for another term as FIFA president at the election scheduled for March 2027. Instead, Diallo has called for “a profound transformation” of FIFA’s governance system.

The French Football Federation said its president believed FIFA must meet the highest standards of integrity and transparency. It added that those standards “are no longer sufficiently present” within the organisation at present.

Calls for Infantino to leave office have been growing among several national associations, as well as within UEFA. The pressure has intensified following the failure of his latest investment proposal, which led him to increase efforts to secure public support ahead of the next presidential election.

Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016. He was re-elected for two further terms in 2019 and 2023.