Irish FA Withdraws Support for Gianni Infantino Ahead of FIFA Vote

The Irish Football Association has withdrawn its support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino and says it will not vote for his re-election next year. BBC Sport reported the decision on Tuesday, with the governing body for football in Northern Ireland declaring that it believes the time has come for change at world football's governing organization.

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The move follows an abandoned proposal to sell a 21% stake in FIFA's commercial operations to a private investment company. According to the BBC report, Infantino has faced increasing scrutiny over the proposal. The plan was ultimately dropped after widespread criticism, while UEFA had threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions if it proceeded.

In explaining its position, the Irish FA said the proposed sale was advanced without consultation. Its statement argued that the issue went beyond a communication failure and raised fundamental questions about strategy, governance and the stewardship of FIFA's assets. The association concluded that a change in leadership was now necessary, making its opposition to Infantino's re-election explicit.

The Irish FA had already backed UEFA's stance on the commercial proposal, but it had not previously taken the additional step of formally withdrawing support from Infantino. Tuesday's statement changes that position and places the Northern Irish body alongside the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, all of which had previously announced that they would not support him.

Infantino, a 56-year-old Swiss administrator, has served as FIFA president since 2016. He is scheduled to seek a fourth term at the presidential election in March. If he wins and completes that term in 2031, his time in the role will have reached 15 years. The Irish FA's announcement therefore arrives before a vote that could substantially extend his tenure.

The decision confirms a broader public break between Infantino and the national associations across the United Kingdom and Ireland, but it does not determine the result of the coming election. The BBC report did not identify an alternative candidate or specify how the opposition from those associations would affect the final vote. What is confirmed is that the Irish FA has moved from supporting UEFA's objections to directly opposing another Infantino term.