Gianni Infantino Faces Growing Pressure from Irish Football Associations
The pressure on Gianni Infantino has moved up another notch – and this time, both sides of the Irish border are in the story.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has formally withdrawn its backing for the under-fire Fifa president, while the Irish Football Association (IFA) in Northern Ireland has thrown its weight behind Uefa’s hardening stance.
Ireland walks away
Infantino’s grip on a fourth term at the top of world football has looked increasingly fragile since his attempt to sell a stake in Fifa’s commercial operations to a private investment company – a plan now scrapped but not forgotten.
That move lit the fuse. On Monday, Uefa, joined by Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, signed an open letter accusing the Fifa president of breaking trust “through deception”. The tone was stark, the message even more so.
Home nations have been peeling away. The Welsh FA was first to publicly withdraw support, the English FA followed. Now the FAI has stepped out of Infantino’s corner as well.
After a board meeting, the Dublin-based association confirmed it has rescinded the letter of support it had sent earlier this year, before the post-World Cup storm over governance and commercial control erupted.
“Following an FAI board meeting, the decision was taken to rescind the letter of support that the Association supplied earlier this year,” it said, adding that it has already written to Fifa to explain its reasoning.
The FAI stressed its appreciation for Fifa’s financial backing of Irish football, but did not soften its criticism. It pointed to “significant concerns regarding governance, transparency and the lack of meaningful consultation”.
Coming from an organisation that has spent recent years wrestling with its own governance crisis and rebuilding its structures, the message carried an extra edge. The FAI said it feels a “particular obligation to advocate for and uphold best practice”.
Northern Ireland backs Uefa line
Across the border, the IFA has stopped short of formally withdrawing support for Infantino, but it has nailed its colours to Uefa’s mast.
“We take our responsibilities as a member association of both Uefa and Fifa seriously,” an IFA spokesperson said. “We support the current Uefa position on the matter and will continue to engage constructively on issues relating to football governance.”
The IFA acknowledged “recent developments and wider concerns within the football community” around Infantino’s leadership and said it is “considering these matters carefully” while working through “the appropriate governance structures and channels”.
For now, it is holding its line: no direct withdrawal, but clear alignment with Uefa and no further public comment.
Infantino has survived storms before. This one is different. When even historically cautious associations start stepping back, how long can the president keep his coalition intact at the top of the global game?
