France Drops FIFA Presidential Support Over World Cup Investment Plan
The French Football Federation officially withdrew its support for Gianni Infantino’s re-election campaign on Thursday following an Executive Committee meeting in Paris. FFF President Philippe Diallo cited dissatisfaction with FIFA governance, specifically pointing to unannounced plans to sell World Cup ownership stakes to private equity investors without prior consultation with member associations.
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The move aligns France with member federations in Italy, Scotland, Sweden, and Belgium in opposing current FIFA leadership practices. Diallo stated that the federation will not accept discovering major structural proposals through media reports rather than official administrative channels.
The next FIFA presidential election takes place on March 18, 2027, at the FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco. Infantino remains the only declared candidate for the position.
Reporting was originally published by OneFootball following the official French Football Federation statement.