FA chief outlines stance on Gianni Infantino’s controversial run for Fifa re-election

The Football Association will decide their position on another term for Fifa president Gianni Infantino during a “board review... in due course”, according to chief executive Mark Bullingham . A number of federations have already endorsed the controversial Swiss official, despite numerous issues around this World Cup and growing dissent within Fifa as a consequence. The Independent reported last week that multiple sources had spoken of impressions being made on them to support Infantino. Gianni Infantino has been criticised for getting too close to Donald Trump (AFP/Getty) They also come amid some misgivings about term limits, given that the Fifa president again being re-elected in 2027 without challenge would ensure he eventually completes 15 years in the role – precisely the kind of longevity that predecessors Sepp Blatter and Joao Havelange had been criticised for. There is a growing feeling that Infantino has pushed the constants of his position too far, most notably in the proximity to the Donald Trump administration and the awarding of the Fifa Peace Prize. Bullingham nevertheless stated that the FA have not yet set out their position. “That’s a board review that we will do in due course,” the chief executive told media at England’s Kansas City base. Infantino is seeking re-election (Reuters) Mark Bullingham (right) says he will wait for an FA board review before committing to a stance on Gianni Infantino (Getty) There has been some frustration within fan groups like the Football Supporters Association that the FA have not used their position to be more vocal on ticket prices, which has been one of the major issues at this World Cup. The body would insist that their lobbying helped bring the introduction of the cheaper Category 4 tickets, although a further issue is that there have been so few of them, only going to the dedicated fans that attend the majority of away games. “All our fans are important to us but the most important fans are the top cappers who follow us everywhere,” Bullingham said. “My understanding is the vast majority of them are going to be able to make it. I think the $60 ticket has had a positive effect on that. If you add it up throughout the tournament it’s 130,000 so it is a concession. “Among the top cappers, you certainly want them there, they generate the atmosphere and as I understand it the vast majority of them will be able to make it. “We’re really confident this World Cup will be a success, I understand that before any major sports event – Olympics, World Cup, whatever – there’s a lot of stories that are flying around. Once the football starts in earnest it will be a success, the country will get behind it and our fans that do come out will have a great experience.” Many England fans have travelled out to North America for the World Cup (Reuters) Asked whether the FA’s position on Infantino was in any way determined by this World Cup’s success or failure, and meeting projected revenues of $14bn, Bullingham pointed to wider Fifa politics. “It’s funny though, when you look at it through the lens of other countries, there’s a lot of countries for whom Fifa is their main source of revenue,” added Bullingham. “So their priority is raising money. “Obviously we’re fortunate enough that the Fifa money that we get is a relatively small proportion of our money. I think it’s 0.5 per cent or something like that. For other countries, I’d say it’s probably 70-80 per cent. So if someone’s increasing their revenue, obviously it allows them to do more sport development, so they’d have a different perspective.”