Gianni Infantino's re-election bid as FIFA President suffered a major setback on Thursday, September 10, 2026, after the French Football Federation (FFF) formally withdrew its endorsement for the Swiss administrator ahead of the upcoming FIFA presidential election in Rabat, Morocco. Gianni Infantino’s bid for re-election as FIFA president has suffered a major setback after the French Football Federation (FFF) withdrew its support, citing a breakdown in trust in the leadership of world football’s governing body.
FFF President Philippe Diallo announced the decision on Thursday, stating it received unanimous approval from the federation’s executive committee. France had initially backed Infantino’s candidacy but has now joined a growing group of European football associations seeking changes to FIFA’s leadership and governance. “The trust placed in the FIFA president has been broken,” Diallo told reporters.
“The way in which we envisage the running of world football no longer corresponds with the way it is being conducted.” The decision represents a significant shift in France’s position ahead of the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco. Infantino remains the only candidate to have formally declared his candidacy.
France’s withdrawal is closely linked to Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell a 20 percent stake in FIFA competitions to private investors. The FIFA Forward Enterprise plan was abandoned after facing strong opposition from football’s regional confederations and national associations. Diallo said France had initially supported Infantino at the end of June, when he was the only declared candidate, but that subsequent developments had fundamentally changed the situation.
“The conditions for our support for his candidacy were no longer there,” he said. The proposed investment structure also raised concerns over FIFA’s governance and decision-making process, particularly because federations were not adequately consulted before the plan emerged.