Swiss Football Association withdraws support for FIFA boss Gianni Infantino

What the report says

The Swiss Football Association (SFV) has withdrawn its backing for FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of next year’s presidential election, reversing support it had given him in June. Al Jazeera reported that the decision was made by the SFV executive board after a meeting on Friday, and was announced on Wednesday. The change is notable because Infantino is Swiss, and FIFA as well as UEFA are headquartered in Switzerland.

According to the report, the SFV’s move follows growing criticism of Infantino after a proposal in July to sell stakes in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup and Club World Cup, to private investors. That plan drew strong opposition from several leading European national associations and was later dropped. The SFV said questions about the background to the plan, who was responsible and how decisions were made remained unresolved.

SFV president Peter Knabel said the organization expects FIFA to meet high standards of transparency, accountability and institutional responsibility. He added that, because those concerns had not been clearly addressed, the association could no longer justify supporting Infantino’s candidacy. In broader context, the episode highlights ongoing pressure on FIFA leadership over governance and commercial decisions, especially as the next election cycle approaches.