France withdraws support for Infantino re-election bid

The French Football Federation has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as Fifa president, according to L’Équipe, after a meeting of its executive committee in Paris.

France changes course

The move marks a clear shift from France, which had previously backed Infantino. Philippe Diallo, the federation president, said the decision followed a loss of trust and that the current way world football is run no longer matched the standards France expects.

Diallo said the federation had initially welcomed Infantino’s candidacy, but that conditions changed from July and made continued support impossible.

Vote ahead in Rabat

The next Fifa presidential election is due to take place on 18 March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco.

The split in France comes after criticism of Fifa’s proposed “Fifa Forward Enterprise” project, which was floated in summer 2026 and would have handed part of World Cup commercial rights to private investors. The plan, which was linked to figures close to Donald Trump, faced strong opposition from confederations before being scrapped in August 2026.