The Swiss Football Association has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president, citing unresolved concerns over the governing body’s leadership, transparency, accountability and decision-making processes.
The SFV’s executive committee reversed its position at a meeting Sept. 25, just three months after endorsing Infantino’s candidacy in June. The decision carries particular significance because Infantino was born in Switzerland and both FIFA and UEFA are headquartered in the country.
The Swiss federation said recent developments had raised fundamental questions about the governance of international football and the integrity of FIFA competitions.
“Credibility, transparency, accountability and effective statutory bodies are essential to have trust in the governance of international football and in the integrity of FIFA,” the SFV said.
It said those conditions could no longer be considered fulfilled.
Among the issues cited were Infantino’s FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which would have created a commercial subsidiary capable of allowing private investors to acquire stakes in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup and Club World Cup.
The proposal, which emerged publicly in July, triggered a backlash among several European football associations and was quickly shelved.
The SFV also pointed to the handling of the Folarin Balogun case during this year’s World Cup. The United States forward’s one-match suspension following a red card was lifted, with the episode drawing scrutiny after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had contacted Infantino about the matter.
The Swiss federation said the episode raised questions about rules and competition integrity, while the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal raised concerns about institutional responsibility and the way major decisions were being made.
SFV President Peter Knäbel said FIFA’s leadership was expected to maintain the highest standards of transparency, accountability and institutional responsibility.
Infantino has recently proposed consultations with FIFA’s member associations on possible governance reforms, a move Knäbel described as an important signal that could help improve the situation.
But he said key questions remained unanswered.
“As these have not been convincingly clarified, we cannot justify continuing to support Gianni Infantino’s candidacy,” Knäbel said.
The Swiss federation stressed that its decision did not represent a withdrawal from cooperation with FIFA or the wider international football community.
As the national association in the country that hosts the headquarters of both FIFA and UEFA, the SFV said it had a “special responsibility” to support transparent structures, reliable governance and rules-based decision-making.
Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, had appeared to face little opposition to his bid for a fourth term until the controversy surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal intensified.
The backlash has since spread across Europe, with several national associations withdrawing their previous endorsements of his candidacy. UEFA has also emerged as the leading force calling for a change in FIFA leadership and is expected to discuss a potential challenger with its 55 member associations at a meeting in Berlin next week.
Candidate nominations for the FIFA election must be submitted by Nov. 18. The election is scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco.
Infantino remains the only declared candidate so far and continues to have support from several major confederations and national associations, including Saudi Arabia, the host of the 2034 World Cup, as well as the African and South American football confederations.
