Irish FA withdraws support for Infantino

The Irish Football Association has withdrawn its support for Fifa president Gianni Infantino's re-election bid next year. Infantino has faced mounting criticism over his attempt to sell off a 21% stake in Fifa's commercial operations, a move that was eventually abandoned due to widespread opposition and threats of a Uefa boycott.

The IFA, which had previously aligned with Uefa's stance, now asserts that Infantino's proposal raised "fundamental questions" about his presidency, communication, strategy, governance, and asset stewardship. The statement from the IFA reads: "The proposal to sell part of Fifa's assets to a private equity firm without consultation represents more than a failure of communication.

In our view, it raises fundamental questions about strategy, governance and stewardship of our assets. We believe the time has come for change." England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland have also publicly distanced themselves from Infantino, who is set to seek a fourth term as president in March. If successful, his tenure would span 15 years, ending in 2031.