French Football Federation withdraws support for Infantino ahead of 2027 elections

Unexpected developments ahead of the FIFA presidential race in Rabat

In a move reflecting the scale of tension within the corridors of world football, the Executive Committee of the French Football Federation (FFF) announced during its recent meeting in Paris a historic decision to officially withdraw support for Gianni Infantino in the FIFA presidential elections scheduled for March 2027 in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.

Why did France withdraw its support for Infantino?

The president of the French Federation, Philippe Diallo, explained that this decision did not come from a vacuum, but is the result of a series of “controversial” decisions recently taken by FIFA’s administration. The federation affirmed that France’s previous commitment to support Infantino has lapsed, especially after the exposure of commercial intentions by the president to involve external investors in World Cup rights, which the French side viewed as a blow to the principles of transparent governance.

Sharp criticism of FIFA’s “governance”

Philippe Diallo emphasized that projects of such strategic magnitude cannot be pushed through behind closed doors without wide consultation or a path characterized by full transparency, noting that FIFA’s current governance does not befit the status and values of the world’s most popular sport. Despite the reversal of the commercial project under pressure from European federations, the French Federation believes that the crisis of trust remains and requires a comprehensive structural overhaul.

A roadmap toward “deep reform”

The French side is not merely withdrawing support; it seeks to lead a broad international movement aimed at redrafting the FIFA charter. To this end, the federation intends to launch a series of international consultations with experts and prominent figures from both inside and outside the sports world. The goal of this move is to formulate practical proposals that ensure the independence of the international body and enhance the values of integrity and solidarity, away from the entanglements that have harmed the image of global football.

With this stance, the French Federation places itself at the heart of the debate on the future of football, confirming its commitment, as a founding member of FIFA, to work toward restoring trust and developing the game on professional foundations that serve players, fans, and national associations alike.