The FFF is aligning itself with the position of other European federations such as Belgium, Italy, Scotland, Sweden and Wales, who have also publicly withdrawn support for Infantino
FIFA confirmed last weekend that Infantino will stand for president in an election next March, despite the backlash over his now-abandoned plan to bring private investment into the men’s and women’s World Cups.
At this stage, the 56-year-old from Switzerland is the only candidate. However, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is widely seen as a likely challenger to the incumbent.
“We believe that the trust placed in the FIFA president has been betrayed, and that the way in which the governance of world football is envisaged no longer reflects us,” FFF president Philippe Diallo said in a statement.
“That is why, by a unanimous decision of its members, the French Football Federation has decided to withdraw its support for Gianni Infantino’s candidacy for the FIFA presidency.”
The move by the French federation, while expected, is likely to sting Infantino.
Diallo added that France “has a historic legitimacy as one of the founding nations of FIFA, and it has the right to intervene when it has the feeling that FIFA and its president are going off course in their governance of world football”.
“It also has sporting legitimacy, having been in the top three in the FIFA rankings for the last 10 years.”
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