The Football Association's apparent support for FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has come under scrutiny after becoming embroiled in a World Cup controversy involving US President Donald Trump. According to reports, the FA was prepared to support Infantino's re-election bid in 2027 before the incident unfolded.
In a letter from FIFA, leading nations were allegedly encouraged to formally back Infantino for another term at the helm of world football's governing body, The Telegraph reports. The outlet claims the FA, run by chairwoman Debbie Hewitt and chief executive Mark Bullingham, agreed to provide their backing and were 'poised to send a letter of support' when the tri-nation World Cup kicked off in Mexico in June. However, it is yet to be established whether the FA sent that communication before Infantino was embroiled in a controversial incident with Trump.
Calls for Infantino's Resignation
There have been calls for Infantino, 56, to resign from the position he has held since 2016 after his close relationship with Trump was alleged to have interfered with FIFA's disciplinary matters. Trump publicly revealed he personally called the Swiss supremo to request FIFA's intervention in removing Folarin Balogun's one-game ban following his sending off against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Balogun's ban was suspended, allowing him to play in their last-16 tie against Belgium—much to the outrage of the Belgian FA and UEFA, who both released statements condemning FIFA's involvement. UEFA said FIFA had crossed “a red line” by making an “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision to rescind Balogun’s automatic one-match ban, which it claimed undermined “the integrity of the game and the credibility of the competition.”
Infantino Denies Granting Trump's Request
Infantino published a statement of his own whereby he denied granting Trump's request and pointed to the independence of FIFA's Disciplinary Committee in delivering their judgement. He later added that he "sometimes agrees" with the Committee's decisions and "sometimes disagrees."
“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues,” Infantino said. “During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.”
Accusations of Bias and Political Interference
The situation has threatened to bring the World Cup into disrepute, while there have been accusations of bias being aimed towards FIFA after Egypt were controversially knocked out following their 3-2 defeat to Argentina. The African nation has collectively stated that Infantino and FIFA wanted Lionel Messi's Argentina to progress, influencing crucial refereeing incidents in the game.
FIFA’s core statutes explicitly forbid any form of political or governmental interference in the affairs of its member associations. The article states that “government interference of any kind in the electoral process or composition of the elective body (general assembly or congress) of the association is not permitted” and that “government rules on elections shall not apply to the elected internal bodies of the association.”
Infantino's Position Remains Strong
With the pressure mounting on Infantino, former FA chairman David Bernstein and several MPs from Westminster have called on the FIFA chief to resign. However, Infantino, who was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023, may still continue in his role beyond his current term. There are not expected to be any rival candidates in 2027, although his ties with Trump appear to have undermined his position in the eyes of important figures through football. But the ones who matter still see him as the figure to lead FIFA into the future.
Infantino only needs 106 votes from the 211 member associations to maintain his position as president. CONMEBOL countries in April all confirmed they back Infantino. The Confederation of African Football also confirmed unanimous backing from its 54 member associations, as did the Asian Football Confederation’s 47 nations. If that remains the case, it would give Infantino 111 votes, which would be enough to hold onto his power. But it remains to be seen if the FA are willing to stick with their initial stance or perform a U-turn in light of the last month's events in North America.
