Scottish FA Joins UEFA in Opposing FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s Re-election

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) announced that it will not vote for Gianni Infantino in the FIFA presidential election slated for early 2027. Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016 and was re-elected in 2019 and 2023, is scheduled to stand for a fourth term in March. The SFA’s decision follows a broader withdrawal of support by the English, Welsh and Republic of Ireland associations.

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In 2023 Infantino proposed the creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise (Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE)), a commercial company intended to manage the commercial and ticket-selling rights of all FIFA competitions, including World Cups. The plan called for 21 % of the new entity to be sold to a private investment firm. The proposal was met with “severe backlash” from multiple confederations, most prominently UEFA, which warned of a boycott of FIFA events if the plan proceeded. After widespread criticism, the FFE project was abandoned. FairSquare, a non-profit campaigning for sport accountability, subsequently asked FIFA’s governance, audit and compliance committee to deem Infantino ineligible for another term.

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He rejected suggestions that the SFA’s shift was linked to its president Mike Mulraney’s role on FIFA’s finance committee.

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The organization pledged to challenge any inaccurate reporting and reiterated its responsibility to 211 member associations worldwide.

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• “The position of the SFA has been clear since the 55 Uefa associations met,” — Ian Maxwell, chief executive — Ian Maxwell, chief executive

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