Scottish FA withdraws support for Infantino ahead of FIFA re-election
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino and will not back his bid for another term as FIFA president, chief executive Ian Maxwell has confirmed to BBC Sport.
Infantino is facing growing criticism over a proposal, which has since been abandoned, to establish a new company to oversee the commercial and ticketing rights for FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. Under the plan, a 21% stake in the company would have been sold to a private investment firm.
The proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) was scrapped following strong opposition from several continental football bodies, led by UEFA, which has even threatened to boycott FIFA competitions.
Speaking while announcing Belgian coach Sebastian Pocognoli as Scotland’s new head coach, Maxwell said the SFA had fully aligned itself with UEFA and the other European football associations.
He said the Scottish FA agreed with UEFA’s assessment that there was a lack of confidence in FIFA’s current leadership and confirmed that Scotland would not vote for Infantino when he seeks re-election in early 2027.
Maxwell also rejected suggestions that the SFA had delayed publicly withdrawing its support because its president, Mike Mulraney, chairs FIFA’s finance committee.
England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have already announced that they no longer support Infantino, who is expected to seek a fourth term in March.
Growing concerns over FIFA leadership
Last week, UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation accused FIFA and Infantino of undermining trust through what they described as deceptive conduct.
In an open letter, the three confederations said the controversy surrounding the FFE proposal was ultimately about the integrity of football and the accountability of those elected to lead the sport.
Although Infantino was not named directly, sources told BBC Sport that the statement could be interpreted as an invitation for him to step down.
FIFA has said it will submit a report on the abandoned FFE plans at the next FIFA Council meeting, expected to be held in October.
However, the three confederations argued that such a review should be carried out by a completely independent body, particularly given what they described as a serious failure of judgement.
UEFA has also warned FIFA against destroying or deleting any records relating to the abandoned proposal.
There have reportedly been early discussions among the three confederations about potentially creating breakaway competitions if Infantino remains in office. However, sources indicate that no substantive negotiations have yet taken place.
So far, no candidate has officially declared an intention to challenge Infantino ahead of the 18 November nomination deadline.
FIFA power struggle remains difficult to predict
The dispute has divided the international football community, with African, South American and Oceanian confederations largely supporting Infantino.
However, divisions have also emerged within individual confederations, making it difficult to determine which side currently has the advantage.
In Oceania, New Zealand has indicated that it will not follow the confederation’s position and intends to vote against Infantino.
Within Concacaf, Mexico, Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis have also separated themselves from the majority of the region’s 32 other members by backing the FIFA president.
In Asia, eight of the confederation’s 46 member associations- the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Kuwait, Mongolia, the Philippines and Bhutan- have so far publicly supported Infantino.
The FIFA Council itself also appears divided. The body consists of Infantino alongside 36 leaders representing confederations and national associations.
The divisions raise questions about whether Infantino would retain enough political support to effectively lead FIFA, even if he succeeds in winning another election involving all 211 member associations.
UEFA’s threat of possible action could face its first major test in just over three weeks, when the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup begins in Poland. The tournament includes five European teams, among them England.
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