Saudi FA election leaves Gianni Infantino’s FIFA future unanswered until September

Saudi Arabia is unlikely to reveal its official position on Gianni Infantino’s future as FIFA president until after elections at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation at the end of August.

British journalist Ben Jacobs reported on Wednesday that the federation’s silence is partly linked to an extraordinary general assembly scheduled for 30 August. The meeting will elect a new president to replace Yasser Al-Misehal, who resigned after Saudi Arabia’s exit from the 2026 World Cup.

The leadership vote is understood to be one of the main reasons Saudi Arabia has not yet stated whether it supports Infantino remaining in office. Pressure is growing on the FIFA president not to seek another term after the collapse of a project to sell a stake in the commercial rights to FIFA competitions.

Jacobs said the federation’s official position would probably not become clear until September, once the internal election process has concluded. He added that a number of senior Saudi officials had indicated there was opposition within Saudi football to Infantino continuing as FIFA president.

That opposition has not, however, translated into a formal declaration from the federation. The country’s football authorities are expected to wait until the new leadership is in place before setting out their position on the increasingly controversial issue.

Infantino is facing mounting pressure from several continental and national football associations. The criticism intensified after he abandoned plans involving the sale of part of FIFA’s commercial rights, a proposal that had attracted widespread opposition and weakened the support he had previously enjoyed in several areas of the game.

The original project had been presented as a way of commercialising part of FIFA’s tournament rights, but its failure has left Infantino facing renewed questions over his position and his prospects of standing for another term.

Saudi Arabia’s stance is therefore being closely watched because it could carry significance in the wider debate over the FIFA presidency. However, no official decision is expected before the federation has completed its own change of leadership.

The timing of the Saudi election means the country’s silence should not necessarily be interpreted as support for Infantino. Equally, the reports do not indicate that Saudi Arabia has formally withdrawn its backing. Instead, the federation’s position remains unsettled while officials await the outcome of the 30 August extraordinary general assembly.

The developments come as Infantino faces a fresh setback in Europe over his proposal and as criticism of his leadership continues to spread among football organisations. For now, Saudi Arabia is expected to keep its position private, with any public statement likely to come after the election and therefore in September.