FA doubles down on Gianni Infantino stance as Fifa rallies behind under-fire president

The Football Association remains steadfast in its belief that Gianni Infantino is no longer the right leader for Fifa, despite the global football body declaring its "full support" for its president on Wednesday night. FA sources had previously indicated their intention to send a letter to Fifa, confirming the withdrawal of support for Infantino's re-election bid at next year’s Congress. This position is understood to be unchanged, even after Fifa and Infantino issued an apology to national associations regarding their handling of a proposal to involve private investors in a company overseeing the World Cup and other competitions. The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has publicly withdrawn its backing, alongside the FAs of Serbia, Sweden, and Finland. Sources close to the matter suggested Fifa’s recent statement has only intensified the anger among Infantino’s opponents, predicting "open warfare" at the highest echelons of world football politics. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham (left) next to Infantino (centre) (PA) Even before Wednesday’s declaration, Fifa Council members were understood to be working to secure the 19-strong majority required to demand a meeting with Infantino. This gathering would aim to hold him accountable for the private investor plan and the Folarin Balogun case. Members are understood to be prepared to initiate a ‘governance boycott’ of Council meetings – a move that would effectively paralyse Fifa – if they fail to achieve the necessary majority or if Infantino refuses their request for a meeting despite it being duly supported. Fifa’s statement affirmed that Infantino had the "full support" of its management board members present at Wednesday’s meeting in Rabat, Morocco, underscoring his clear intent to remain in charge despite mounting opposition. The statement acknowledged that "mistakes were acknowledged" in the handling of the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, clarifying it was "not the intention" for the Fifa Council or member associations to "feel excluded" from the process. While a review into the FFE proposal’s handling was promised, the statement insisted that "everything that was done was done in full compliance with the Fifa regulatory framework." It also warned that Fifa "will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation." Meanwhile, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, president of the Jordanian Football Association, accused Fifa of "blackmail" in a post on X on Tuesday. He claimed Fifa had promised assistance with financial recovery during the World Cup if the JFA supported Infantino. Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein accused Fifa of blackmail earlier this week (AFP/Getty) Fifa is aware of this allegation but has yet to comment, nor has it addressed The Guardian’s report on Wednesday alleging Fifa’s central role in discussions to develop the European Super League in 2020, which was at one point reportedly set to be named the ‘Fifa Super League’. Fifa did, however, deny a report in The Times on Wednesday that Infantino had promised Morocco the right to host the 2030 World Cup final. The organisation stated that a decision on the matter would be made "in due course”, noting Morocco is one of three main co-hosts for the tournament, alongside Spain and Portugal. Uefa was among three continental confederations that publicly rejected Infantino’s private investor proposal last week, even threatening to boycott Fifa competitions, including the World Cup, until it was abandoned. Despite Infantino confirming the plan would not proceed last Saturday, Uefa issued a further statement affirming it had "lost confidence" in the Swiss. Uefa has not yet commented on Fifa’s statement published on Wednesday.