FAI Withdraws Support for Fifa President Gianni Infantino
The Football Association of Ireland has pulled the plug on its backing for embattled Fifa president Gianni Infantino, deepening the crisis engulfing world football’s most powerful figure.
In a pointed move, the FAI confirmed it has rescinded its earlier letter of support for Infantino’s bid for a fourth term, writing to Fifa to explain why it has turned its back on the president after standing by him before the post-World Cup storm broke.
“The decision was taken to rescind the letter of support that the Association supplied earlier this year,” the FAI said after a board meeting, stressing that while it remains “grateful for the support that Fifa provides to Irish football”, recent events have triggered “significant concerns regarding governance, transparency and the lack of meaningful consultation”.
That line cuts deep. The FAI has spent years trying to rebuild its own reputation after governance scandals at home. It made that parallel explicit, saying that “considering the governance challenges that the FAI has had to overcome in recent years, the Association feels a particular obligation to advocate for and uphold best practice”.
This is not an isolated revolt. It comes on the back of an extraordinary joint intervention from Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, who signed an open letter accusing Infantino of breaking trust “through deception”.
At the heart of the anger sits an abandoned plan: Infantino’s attempt to sell a stake in Fifa’s commercial operations to a private investment company. The proposal has been scrapped, but the damage is done. That episode has left his hopes of extending his reign at the top of the global game in serious jeopardy.
The dominoes started to fall last week. The Football Association of Wales was the first of the home nations to withdraw support. The English FA followed. Now the governing body for the Republic of Ireland has joined the breakaway group, underlining how quickly Infantino’s base in Europe is eroding.
Across the border, the mood is more cautious but still telling. The Irish Football Association in Northern Ireland has not yet gone as far as formally withdrawing support, but it has nailed its colours to Uefa’s mast.
“We take our responsibilities as a member association of both Uefa and Fifa seriously,” an IFA spokesperson said. “We support the current Uefa position on the matter and will continue to engage constructively on issues relating to football governance.”
The statement acknowledged “recent developments and wider concerns within the football community” around Infantino and made clear the IFA is weighing its next steps: “We are considering these matters carefully and will continue to engage through the appropriate governance structures and channels. At this stage, we have no further comment.”
The message from both Irish associations is unmistakable. Trust in Fifa’s leadership is fraying, and the pressure on Infantino is no longer coming from the fringes. It is now embedded in the very federations that helped put him in power.
