More than 200 nations have officially thrown their support behind Gianni Infantino’s re-election as Fifa president, even amid the turmoil triggered by the controversy over Folarin Balogun’s suspension being overturned.
It is understood that just a few of Fifa’s 211 member associations have yet to submit letters of support for Infantino, who is set to win a fourth term by a large margin at the congress in March. A handful of European nations are among those holding out, with Germany the most prominent FA yet to offer its formal endorsement.
Prospective candidates need to be nominated by 18 November, and until then letters of support can be retracted or switched to another candidate. However, Infantino is the sole candidate at present, and some FA officials sense they have faced ongoing pressure from inside Fifa to declare their loyalty. Such conduct would, in principle, contravene Fifa’s ethics regulations.
Removing Infantino would require a seismic shift in football politics. Unease persists after Donald Trump acknowledged pressing Fifa to reassess the red card shown to American striker Balogun against Bosnia and Herzegovina, yet most of the discontent is simmering within European FAs and related organizations. Infantino does not rely on European backing to secure a commanding mandate, and most European associations have already confirmed their support for his re-election. The English FA, for example, submitted its letter well before the World Cup.
The idea of fielding a candidate from Europe to challenge Infantino has been discussed more seriously in private over the past 10 days, but the chance of various federations uniting behind a single name seems distant.
Uefa has openly clashed with Fifa on several recent matters, including the Balogun affair and the exclusion of Somali referee Omar Artan from the World Cup, yet it remains uncertain whether Uefa’s leadership would be inclined to formally back an election rival. Some insiders within European football’s upper ranks believe a candidate capable of gathering 30 to 40 votes could at least spark a genuine public discussion about Fifa’s governance and its trajectory.
Fifa’s member associations will gather in New York on Saturday, but with Infantino chairing the meeting, recent controversies are not expected to be on the agenda. The financial returns from the World Cup, and any benefits that could then be shared with FAs, are more probable discussion points.
Fifa was asked to provide a statement.
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