English FA to withdraw support for Fifa president Infantino

By Liam Tremblay — 3 August 2026 — 3 min read

Withdrawal of Support and Legal Threats

The English Football Association is preparing to formally withdraw its support for Fifa president Gianni Infantino. This decision follows the fallout from his abandoned plans to sell stakes in Fifa competitions to private investors. Uefa has also threatened legal action regarding these proposals, and Wales has publicly stated its withdrawal of backing for Infantino’s continued presidency.

Infantino’s leadership has faced public scrutiny from football’s governing bodies in Europe, North and Central America, and the Caribbean. Both Uefa and Concacaf have issued statements criticizing the proposed plans. Fifa and Infantino had intended to establish a commercial subsidiary to manage its primary events, including its World Cups, with external investors potentially acquiring stakes in this entity.

Fifa had indicated its intention to “invite third parties to make minority, non-controlling investments” in a new subsidiary named Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE). Uefa, in a letter to Infantino, stated it was “actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints” in connection with the FFE plan proposed by Fifa.

Demands for Documentation and Escalation of Feud

Uefa has requested the immediate identification, location, and preservation of all documents and electronically stored information related to the investment plan. This includes emails, instant messages across various platforms, SMS, written correspondence, and meeting notes involving any Fifa officer, employee, committee member, consultant, agent, or any Fifa member association, confederation, broadcaster, sponsor, or financial institution.

The European governing body also sought the retention of documents concerning the payment structure for Fifa member associations, including its design, modelling, legal basis, approval, and communications to member associations. Uefa asked Infantino to acknowledge receipt of its letter in writing within five business days, confirming his understanding and that immediate steps had been taken to preserve relevant materials.

The withdrawal of support from member associations and the threat of legal action highlight that the opposition to Infantino over the FFE situation is largely driven by Europe. This demand for senior Fifa officials not to destroy evidence marks a further escalation in the ongoing dispute between the two organizations.

Divisions and Future Leadership

While pressure mounts on Infantino, several nations, including Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait, and Sri Lanka, have pledged their continued support for his Fifa leadership. If Infantino remains in his position until March, he could seek re-election for a fourth and final term as president, requiring 106 votes from Fifa’s 211 members to secure a win.

Uefa holds 55 votes, Africa 54, Asia 46, Concacaf 35, Oceania 11, and Conmebol 10. The Asian Football Federation (AFC) has expressed solidarity with Uefa and Concacaf, while Africa, Conmebol, and Oceania have not criticized Infantino’s plan. The Fifa Council could potentially compel Infantino to resign through an emergency meeting, which would be triggered if 19 of its 37 members call for one, with the meeting to occur within two weeks.

Uefa has nine members on the council, AFC has seven, Concacaf five, Africa six, Conmebol five, and Oceania three, with Infantino and secretary general Mattias Grafstrom completing the council. Uefa is working to convince countries outside Europe and the Concacaf region to join the opposition, as support from only these two confederations may not be sufficient to unseat him.

Uefa has welcomed Fifa’s decision to retract its plan to sell a stake in its competitions. The proposal was unanimously rejected by Uefa’s national associations and numerous other federations and confederations globally, who aim to safeguard football. Uefa has stated its intention to collaborate with its associations and other confederations to review how this situation developed and to formulate a plan to prevent its recurrence.

Uefa believes that the current Fifa leadership has lost the confidence of Uefa and many other members of the football community. The organization plans to propose a new method for distributing resources through the existing Fifa Forward programme, aiming to utilize some of the idle funds in Fifa’s bank account to support grassroots football and the wider game in all 211 Fifa countries.

Uefa has emphasized that this outcome is a victory for the sport, but the task of rebuilding trust in Fifa has just begun.

Source: bbc.com