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

The Football Association of Wales has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino to continue as FIFA president, citing a loss of confidence in his governance, leadership and communication.

The decision means Wales will no longer back Infantino’s candidacy for a further term from 2027 to 2031. It is the first such move by a national football association following widespread criticism of a previous FIFA proposal to sell stakes in its competitions to private investment companies.

In a statement, the Football Association of Wales said: “The recent failures in governance, management, leadership and communication have led to a loss of confidence in Infantino continuing at the head of world football.”

It added: “Failing to put the interests of football first is something we cannot accept.”

The controversy centres on a FIFA plan to sell about 20% of a newly created entity responsible for managing its competitions, including the World Cup. The proposed deal could have raised as much as $4.2bn.

FIFA later abandoned the proposal after it triggered a wave of criticism around the world. However, the Welsh FA’s statement makes clear that the dispute has continued to affect confidence in Infantino’s leadership.

UEFA had previously threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, in protest at the plan. European national teams also said they would boycott FIFA tournaments “as long as these proposals remain in place”.

The European governing body subsequently dropped the proposal after FIFA backed away from it, but it had already exposed tensions between FIFA and the confederations responsible for running football in different regions.

CONCACAF also criticised the way FIFA handled the crisis in an official statement and formally rejected the proposal. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) likewise announced that it opposed FIFA’s plan.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), meanwhile, announced that its executive committee would meet to assess the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative.

The Welsh FA’s decision comes after the failure of the investment plan to secure support from the governing bodies representing Europe, North and Central America and the Caribbean, and Asia. Its criticism also places renewed focus on the process surrounding Infantino’s attempt to remain in charge of FIFA beyond his current term.

Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 and was re-elected in 2023. The next term referred to in the Welsh FA’s announcement would run from 2027 to 2031.

FIFA has not been reported as reinstating the investment proposal, but the Welsh FA said the governance and communication failures surrounding the episode were sufficient to end its support for Infantino’s continued presidency.

The statement represents a significant challenge to Infantino as he seeks backing for another term, with the World Cup and FIFA’s wider commercial strategy at the centre of the disagreement.