Friday, September 11, 2026 - The French Football Federation (FFF) has withdrawn support for Gianni Infantino's bid to be re-elected as FIFA president next year.
On Thursday, the French Football Federation (FFF) followed
England, Italy, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland in withdrawing support for
Infantino over his aborted plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions -
including the World Cup - to private investors.
The FFF had pledged its support for Infantino in June before
his investment proposal came to light.
Infantino's plan sparked a global outcry, with European
football's governing body UEFA threatening to boycott all FIFA competitions.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and North American
governing body Concacaf have called for Infantino to step down, though he
retains the backing of South America's Conmebol and African governing body CAF.
FIFA has confirmed Infantino will stand for a fourth
term in the FIFA presidential election in March.
"A project with such a significant impact on the future
of football could not be envisaged without comprehensive information, in-depth
consultation and a fully transparent decision-making process," FFF
president Philippe Diallo said in a statement.
"FIFA's governance does not live up to the standards
that football represents."
Despite Infantino abandoning his proposal, the FFF said that
"FIFA's governance cannot be considered resolved".
The FFF has pledged to start consultations with
confederations, national associations, players, supporters and governance
experts about reforming Fifa.
"The aim of these consultations 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," the FFF said.
"The FFF, a founding member of Fifa, thus intends to
contribute to a debate that is vital for the future of football, its regulation
and its development."
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