European nations are planning to intensify pressure on FIFA President Gianni Infantino by withdrawing letters of support for his re-election. This move follows the collapse of his privately backed scheme to sell off parts of the World Cup, a plan largely thwarted by UEFA member associations threatening to boycott future FIFA competitions.
A widespread desire exists across Europe to see Infantino removed from his post. National governing bodies are discussing the formal withdrawal of their support to hasten his resignation, with announcements expected in the coming days. Previously, 52 of UEFA's 55 members had endorsed Infantino's candidature for next March, with only Germany, Romania, and Norway not having done so.
While a simultaneous withdrawal has been considered, member associations might also remove their backing individually. Such actions would effectively serve as a vote of no confidence, increasing pressure on Infantino to resign. FIFA must be notified by any country recalling its letter.
Discussions are ongoing with countries in other confederations. Despite the failure of his Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal, some countries in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), including Qatar, Sri Lanka, and Kuwait, publicly backed Infantino over the weekend. However, sources within European football have questioned if these federations are fully aware of the dissent facing Infantino.