The French Football Federation (FFF) has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid to secure another term as FIFA president, adding to growing opposition to his leadership ahead of the March 2027 election.
FFF president Philippe Diallo announced the decision on Thursday after the federation’s executive committee unanimously agreed to end its backing for Infantino.
Explaining the decision, Diallo said trust in the FIFA president had been damaged by recent developments.
“The trust placed in the FIFA president has been broken,” he told reporters. “The way in which we envisage the running of world football no longer corresponds with the way it is being conducted.”
France had initially endorsed Infantino’s candidacy in June when he was the only declared candidate for the presidency. However, the federation has since changed its position following disagreements over FIFA’s proposed commercial plans and governance.
A major point of contention was Infantino’s abandoned proposal to sell a 20 percent stake in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors. The plan was dropped in July after strong opposition from football’s regional confederations, which criticised the lack of consultation surrounding the proposal.
Diallo said the proposal had been presented without adequate transparency or consultation with FIFA’s member associations.
“The conditions for our support for his candidacy were no longer there,” he said.
France’s decision follows similar moves by the Football Association of England and Italy’s FIGC, which have also withdrawn their backing for Infantino following the controversy over the proposed stake sale.
Opposition to Infantino is also emerging at the confederation level, with UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF calling for changes at the top of FIFA and seeking a credible candidate to challenge the incumbent.
Diallo said simply opposing Infantino would not be enough and urged European football authorities to develop a clear alternative.
“It is not enough simply to criticize if you want things to move forward. You also have to make proposals,” he said.
He added that UEFA would need to agree on a programme for FIFA’s next leadership cycle and eventually support a single candidate capable of challenging Infantino.
“We will need to be ready by then to put forward a candidacy capable of winning the FIFA presidency,” Diallo said.
Despite losing support from several European associations, Infantino continues to enjoy backing from South America’s CONMEBOL and Africa’s CAF. CAF’s support could become particularly important in a closely contested election because of the bloc of votes held by African member associations.
The FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco. Candidates have until November 18 to formally declare their intention to contest, setting the stage for further developments as FIFA members decide whether to remain behind Infantino or support a challenger.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar