FFF decides Infantino’s faith ahead of fourth-term Presidential goal

The French Football Federation (FFF) withdrew its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid for a fourth term as Fifa president on Thursday, criticising his plans to bring private investors into Fifa’s commercial operations and the way he runs the 122-year-old organisation.

Infantino has been under heavy criticism over the past few months, with top football federations skeptical of his performance as FIFA president.

In June, the FFF said it would back the 56-year-old in the presidential election on 18 March. However, things took a change at the executive committee meeting at its headquarters in central Paris on Thursday.

The FFF said it no longer supported Infantino, citing his business plan and the way it was presented.

Illustration logo of French football federation. (Photo by Ewen Gavet/Icon Sport via Getty Images)

“The FFF is calling for the development, in consultation with the confederations, national federations and all stakeholders – including players and supporters – of a vision for world football aimed at undertaking far-reaching reform of Fifa governance,” the federation said.

“The consultations will aim to put forward proposals for a fundamental transformation of Fifa governance, with the goal of restoring trust, strengthening transparency, and ensuring the independence and exemplary conduct of football’s global governing body.”

Infantino biggest controversial moment came at the 2026 World Cup after US President Donald Trump intervened in the lifting of a one-match ban for US striker Folarin Balogun, who had been given a red card.

He faced further criticism soon after the World Cup final when media reports revealed a plan to spin off Fifa’s commercial businesses – including the men’s and women’s World Cups and Club World Cups – into a €17 billion subsidiary, with 20 percent owned by private investors including the Kushner family, which has links to Trump.

Infantino initially criticised what he described as media distortions of the proposals before withdrawing them.