Scottish FA withdraws support for Fifa president Infantino

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has lost confidence in Fifa president Gianni Infantino and will not back his re-election bid in early 2027, chief executive Ian Maxwell told BBC Sport.

Maxwell made the announcement while unveiling Belgian coach Sebastian Pocognoli as Scotland's new head coach. He said the SFA has aligned itself with Uefa's position, arguing that 55 united national associations carry more weight than a single voice. He also dismissed suggestions that the SFA had stayed quiet earlier because its own president, Mike Mulraney, chairs Fifa's finance committee.

Roots of the dispute

Infantino has faced mounting pressure since abandoning a plan to create a new company, Fifa Forward Enterprise, which would have managed commercial and ticketing rights for all Fifa competitions, including the World Cup, with 21% of it sold to a private investment firm. The plan was scrapped after strong criticism from several confederations led by Uefa, which threatened to boycott Fifa events altogether.

England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland's football associations have already withdrawn their support for Infantino, who is due to seek a fourth term in March. Last week, Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation jointly accused Fifa and Infantino of breaching trust through deception, stressing the importance of integrity in the sport's leadership.

Fifa has pledged to present a report on the abandoned plan at its council meeting in October, but the three confederations argue that proper governance would require an independent third-party review instead.

A divided football world

Support for Infantino remains strong in Africa, South America and Oceania, though even those blocs show cracks — New Zealand, for instance, has said it will not follow Oceania's lead. Some countries within Concacaf and the Asian confederation have also broken ranks to back Infantino. So far, no rival candidate has come forward ahead of the 18 November nomination deadline.