The English Football Association is preparing to formally write to Gianni Infantino to withdraw its support for his re-election as FIFA president following the fallout over scrapped plans to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors.
The move comes amid escalating tensions within European football, with UEFA threatening legal action over the controversial proposal and the Football Association of Wales publicly pulling its backing for Infantino’s leadership bid.
Infantino is scheduled to stand for a fourth and final term in March 2027, requiring 106 votes from FIFA’s 211 member associations to secure his position.
Sources have confirmed to BBC Sport that the Scottish FA also remains aligned with UEFA’s position of no confidence in the 56-year-old administrator.
Proposed commercial unit sparks legal threat
The opposition centers on a now-shelved scheme by FIFA to create a commercial subsidiary—dubbed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE)—to manage major tournaments, including the World Cup, by allowing external, minority non-controlling private investors to purchase equity stakes.
The proposal triggered sharp condemnation from both UEFA and Concacaf, representing European and North/Central American football governing bodies respectively.
In a formal letter sent to Infantino, UEFA warned that it is “actively considering legal action, arbitration, and/or regulatory complaints” regarding the FFE initiative.
UEFA has also demanded that FIFA take immediate steps to preserve all related internal documents and electronic communications, instructing the governing body to suspend routine document destruction procedures while legal options are evaluated.
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