PARIS — The French Football Federation withdrew its support Thursday for Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president. The federation’s executive committee made the decision unanimously at a meeting in Paris called by its president, Philippe Diallo.
France had backed Infantino at the end of June. Diallo told reporters after Thursday’s meeting that events since then had changed the circumstances of that support, Reuters reported.
“The trust placed in the FIFA president has been broken,” Diallo said. “The way in which we envisage the running of world football no longer corresponds with the way it is being conducted.”
In a written statement, the FFF called for far-reaching reform of FIFA’s governance and said it intends to contribute to discussions on the future regulation of world football.
“Whilst support had initially been given to the FIFA president, who was then the sole candidate for his own succession, the conditions for that support are no longer met,” the FFF said.
“A series of events directly involving FIFA’s governance and its president,” the federation continued, “and in direct conflict with the fundamental principles of good governance and the values of football, occurred after the FFF expressed its support on June 29.”
French Football Federation Cites Gianni Infantino’s Failed World Cup Stake Sale
The statement pointed to Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. On July 28, FIFA announced a new subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise. It would have combined the sale of FIFA’s commercial rights, including broadcasting, sponsorship, ticketing, and licensing, with the operation of its tournaments.
FIFA valued the company at about $20 billion. Outside investors would have bought minority stakes totaling roughly 20%, raising up to $4.2 billion.
Carlos Cordeiro resigned as Infantino’s senior adviser in protest on July 31. That same day, Infantino said in a statement that the proposal would not proceed, CNN reported.
“Having listened carefully to all the views, it has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” Infantino said.
Diallo said Thursday that he opposed the proposal “both in form and substance” and that it was carried out “without any consultation or information,” according to a translation by Get French Football News. In its statement, the FFF said Infantino’s recent initiatives have “seriously damaged the image and unity of football.”
“Today, whilst this project has been definitively abandoned thanks to a concerted response within UEFA in conjunction with several other confederations, the issue of FIFA’s governance cannot be considered resolved,” the federation explained.
UEFA said Aug. 1 that it had lost confidence in Infantino. European federations later dropped a threat to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, after UEFA said it received assurances that the plan had been “irrevocably and permanently withdrawn.” UEFA is also preparing a criminal complaint against Infantino in Swiss courts over possible financial mismanagement tied to the plan, The Associated Press reported.
Philippe Diallo Says UEFA Will Choose A Candidate To Face Gianni Infantino
On Sunday, FIFA said Infantino will seek a fourth and final term, which would run through 2031. He first announced his plan to run again in April at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver. Infantino is the only declared candidate so far.
In January 2016, the FFF’s executive committee voted 11-1 to back Infantino’s first run for the FIFA presidency over French candidate Jérôme Champagne. Infantino won that election and ran unopposed for re-election in 2019 and 2023.
Wales became the first national federation to formally withdraw its support for Infantino on Aug. 3. England, Italy, Scotland, Serbia, and Sweden are among the federations that have since pulled their backing. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF have called for change at the top of FIFA. South America’s CONMEBOL and Africa’s CAF still support Infantino.
For Diallo, France’s decision is part of a wider movement within UEFA.
“We have a historical right to intervene; France is one of FIFA’s founding members,” Diallo explained, according to Get French Football News’ translation. “We also have a sporting right to do so: for the past 10 years, France has been one of the top three nations in the FIFA rankings.”
On July 14, France lost 2-0 to Spain in a World Cup semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. France won the 2018 World Cup and lost to Argentina in the 2022 final.
The FFF said it will launch consultations with leading French and international figures.
“The aim of these consultations,” the FFF said, “will be to foster collective reflection and to draw up proposals for a far-reaching transformation of FIFA’s governance, with a view to restoring confidence, enhancing transparency and ensuring the independence and exemplary conduct of world football’s governing body.”
Diallo said discussions will now focus on governance reform.
“It is not enough simply to criticise if you want things to move forward,” Diallo said. “You also have to make proposals.”
UEFA will need to agree on a platform for FIFA’s next leadership cycle and then pick a candidate when the time comes, Diallo said.
“We will need to be ready by then to put forward a candidacy capable of winning the FIFA presidency,” Diallo said.
Diallo said a framework for France’s contribution must be set at the next UEFA executive committee meeting, which he placed a few days away. Candidates have until Nov. 18 to enter the race. FIFA’s 211 member associations, each holding one vote, will elect the president March 18, 2027, at the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco.
