A major political upheaval is taking place within the world of soccer, as the French Soccer Federation has decided to withdraw its support for FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, ahead of the March 2027 elections.
According to “Le Monde,” the decision was made on Thursday, September 10, following a meeting of the FFF’s executive committee, effectively putting an end to a political relationship that had lasted more than a decade.
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The French federation had consistently supported the Italian-Swiss official and had helped secure his election as FIFA president in February 2016. Now, however, its stance is shifting in light of the new election scheduled for March 18, 2027.
The crisis of confidence surrounding the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” plan is said to have played a decisive role in the rift. This initiative called for the creation of a commercial company and the partial involvement of private investors in FIFA’s operations, before it was ultimately abandoned on August 1.
The plan had sparked strong reactions, in part due to reports that among the interested investors were individuals with ties to the family of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The FFF’s change of stance is all the more interesting given that just a few months earlier, its president, Philippe Diallo, reportedly signed a letter of support for Infantino’s candidacy in the 2027 elections, along with some 200 other heads of soccer federations from around the world.
*photo source: AP
