The Italian Football Federation has joined other nations in withdrawing their backing for FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The FIGC announced on Wednesday that they will not support Infantino’s reelection bid in March due to recent decisions made by the FIFA president regarding governance and international competitions.
Infantino faced mounting pressure to resign after his failed attempt to sell shares of the World Cup to private equity investors. Three continental confederations accused him of deceit, and UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA events. FIGC President Giovanni Malagò stated that they will collaborate with UEFA and other European federations to advocate for a soccer model based on merit, solidarity, sustainability, and fan engagement.
England, Wales, and Ireland football federations previously withdrew their support for Infantino’s reelection. Norway also called for his resignation, along with five other Nordic countries. Despite initial expectations of an uncontested reelection in Morocco next year, challengers have until November 18 to nominate themselves.
While some of FIFA’s member federations continue to support Infantino, including 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco and Qatar, others like Norway have expressed a loss of confidence in his leadership. UEFA is expected to retract its boycott threat against FIFA competitions following assurances that Infantino’s World Cup sell-off proposal will not be revisited.
Infantino’s controversial plan to create a $20 billion subsidiary was met with widespread criticism and led to UEFA’s distrust in his leadership. The proposal, which included involvement from a New York fund, was swiftly abandoned after objections from various football bodies. UEFA has now received confirmation that the spinoff initiative will not be reintroduced in a different form, paving the way for European teams to participate in upcoming tournaments without disruption.
