France Withdraws Support for Gianni Infantino Ahead of FIFA Election

The French Football Federation (FFF) has officially withdrawn its support for the current FIFA president ahead of the election scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco.

The decision was unanimously approved by the federation’s Executive Committee and represents a significant change in France’s position. As recently as late June, France had backed Infantino’s candidacy as he seeks to remain at the helm of the organization he has led since 2016.

But in a matter of months, the relationship has changed completely.

Philippe Diallo, president of the FFF, confirmed that the federation believes the trust placed in Infantino has been broken and questioned the way some of the most important decisions within FIFA have been made.

The Project That Ultimately Broke the Relationship

One of the main points of conflict was a controversial project promoted by FIFA that would have allowed private investors to enter the business surrounding its competitions.

The initiative included the possibility of selling a 20% stake linked to the commercial rights of tournaments organized by world soccer’s governing body, including the FIFA World Cup.

The project generated strong opposition from different confederations and federations, in part because of the way negotiations were conducted and the lack of prior consultation.

The pressure eventually led to the initiative being abandoned.

For France, however, dropping the project was not enough to repair the relationship.

Diallo believes that an issue capable of profoundly changing the financial future of FIFA’s biggest competitions could not be developed without a much broader discussion with the federations.

France’s concerns go beyond a single proposal.

The FFF has also expressed differences with the management of international soccer’s financial resources and with the governance model that has taken shape during Infantino’s presidency.

France Joins the European Front Against Infantino

The French move does not come in isolation.

Federations such as England, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, and Scotland have already withdrawn or declined their support for Infantino, turning the 2027 election into a much more complicated political battle for the Swiss executive.

France’s position is also aligned with the growing distance between UEFA and the current FIFA administration.

Aleksander Čeferin, president of UEFA, has major differences with Infantino, while the need to find a candidate capable of providing an alternative in the upcoming election is beginning to gain momentum across Europe.

And that is where one of the biggest problems emerges.

For now, Infantino remains the only declared candidate.

Federations interested in presenting an alternative have until November 18, 2026, to find a candidate capable of challenging for the presidency.

Infantino Still Retains Important Support

Losing France represents a political blow, but it does not mean Infantino is close to losing the election.

The FIFA president still retains significant support outside Europe, particularly within CONMEBOL and CAF, as well as a broad network of federations built during his decade in charge of the organization.

In fact, despite the growing opposition front, the executive remains the favorite to secure the votes needed to stay in office.

The discussion, however, has already changed.

France has not simply decided to stop supporting him. Diallo has made it clear that it will now be necessary to work on concrete proposals for the future of the organization and find a candidate who can genuinely challenge for the presidency.

The election will take place on March 18, 2027, in Rabat.

There are still six months to go.

But for the first time in a long time, Gianni Infantino is beginning to face organized opposition within international soccer.

Watch beIN SPORTS Xtra live for free on YouTube