Philippe Diallo on the FFF withdrawing support for Gianni Infantino: 'He has become a divisive figure and has seriously damaged football's image'

The Fédération française de football (FFF) announced on Thursday, September 10, that it was withdrawing its support for Gianni Infantino, who is seeking re-election as president of the Fédération internationale de football (FIFA) in the vote scheduled for March 18, 2027. In office since 2016, the Italian-Swiss official has faced fierce criticism since the revelation in late July of his ultimately abandoned plan to privatize the World Cup. FFF president Philippe Diallo denounced what he called the "excesses of a form of financial drift."

Why did the FFF withdraw its support for Gianni Infantino's bid for another term as FIFA president?

At the end of July, Gianni Infantino's announcement of his project to create a commercial company to sell part of the World Cup rights to private investors fundamentally changed our perception of FIFA regarding governance and upholding values. There was a failure and a major breach in the direction that global football should take. At the FFF, we learned about it through the press. It is unacceptable that such a significant project could be developed without FIFA consulting or informing its members at any stage.

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