France withdraws support for Infantino in FIFA presidential election

The French Football Federation (FFF) has announced it will not back Gianni Infantino's candidacy for FIFA president in the upcoming March 2027 election. This decision follows other European federations, including Belgium, Italy, Scotland, Sweden, and Wales, who have also withdrawn their support for Infantino. Infantino, who replaced Sepp Blatter in 2016, is the only candidate for the presidency at this stage.

However, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is seen as a likely contender to challenge him. FFF president Philippe Diallo expressed disappointment, stating that the trust placed in the FIFA president has been betrayed and the governance of world football no longer reflects the member nations. The French federation's support for Infantino is rooted in both historic legitimacy as one of FIFA's founding nations and sporting legitimacy, having been in the top three FIFA rankings for the past decade.

Infantino's candidacy faced significant backlash after he proposed a plan to create a commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to manage major events like the World Cup and Club World Cup. This plan would have allowed private investors to acquire stakes, leading UEFA to threaten a boycott of FIFA competitions and suggesting possible legal action against Infantino for alleged "criminal mismanagement."