Italy Joins European Federations Pulling Support for FIFA President Infantino

The Italian federation is the latest to withdraw its backing of Gianni Infantino ahead of the March 2027 FIFA presidential election following his scrapped World Cup investment plan.

Italy's football federation has become the latest national body to withdraw its endorsement of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, whose failed attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors has triggered a wave of defections across Europe.

The FIGC said its decision was made in agreement with UEFA and its president Aleksander Ceferin, citing concerns over Infantino's handling of governance and international competitions. England, Wales, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Finland, Serbia, Sweden, Croatia and Albania have all taken similar steps, with Finland reported as the first to act.

Scotland's chief executive Ian Maxwell told the BBC the Scottish FA would not vote for Infantino at the re-election scheduled for early 2027. Sweden's federation said an extraordinary board meeting concluded that trust in Infantino's leadership no longer existed, pointing to recurring shortcomings in governance and transparency.

The global players' union FIFPRO has also criticized Infantino, describing his actions as a profound abuse of presidential power. Separately, the French federation indicated to BBC Sport that it still plans to compete at next month's U20 Women's World Cup despite UEFA's ongoing boycott of FIFA competitions.

Infantino retains backing elsewhere. Mexico and Argentina have reaffirmed their support, along with CAF, the African football confederation.