Gianni Infantino's campaign for another term as FIFA president has hit a major hurdle after the Football Association of Wales withdrew its support for his re-election bid. The decision was announced on Monday. Wales was the first national football association to publicly step away from backing Infantino for the 2027-31 term. It comes just days after FIFA shelved its controversial proposal to bring private investors into the commercial rights of the World Cup and other major tournaments. FIFA's ambitious plan was aimed at unlocking up to $4.2 billion by selling a roughly 20% stake in a new entity. The Welsh FA said it no longer had confidence in FIFA's recent direction and leadership.
"The Football Association of Wales hereby confirms its withdrawal of support for the candidature of Mr. Gianni Infantino, for re-election as FIFA President for the 2027–2031 term," the Welsh FA said in a statement. Infantino is still expected to stand for another term, but this decision from Wales FA has drawn attention across world football and could prompt other associations to reconsider their position ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
UEFA's opposition to FIFA's private investment plan started the fallout
The issue began after FIFA proposed creating a new company that would allow private investors to buy a stake in the commercial rights of competitions such as the FIFA World Cup. UEFA was among the strongest critics of the idea, arguing that football's biggest tournaments should remain under the control of the sport rather than private financial groups. UEFA had pledged to boycott FIFA competitions until the idea was scrapped and intensified pressure on Infantino by declaring he had "lost the confidence" of European football's governing. After resistance from several UEFA member associations, FIFA eventually dropped the plan. UEFA had also written to Infantino confirming it is actively considering legal action over the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan.
In addition to UEFA, Concacaf, which governs football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), also spoke out against the plans. Infantino had sought approval from national associations to establish FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a company which would oversee the commercial and operational aspects of its competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups. The dispute has strained relations between FIFA and some of its member associations. For now, Wales remains the only football association to officially withdraw its support for Infantino.
