The Scottish Football Association has announced it will not support Gianni Infantino's reelection bid in 2027 following the collapse of a controversial commercial proposal.
Key facts
- •The Scottish FA will not vote for Gianni Infantino in the 2027 FIFA presidential election.
- •The FFE proposal aimed to raise $4.2 billion by selling a 20% stake in a new commercial subsidiary.
- •FIFA withdrew the FFE plan after facing criticism from multiple football confederations.
- •UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and Concacaf have demanded an independent investigation into the FFE process.
- •FIFA official Kevin Lamour resigned following his public criticism of the commercialization plan.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) confirmed on Monday that it will not support Gianni Infantino in the 2027 FIFA presidential election. Chief executive Ian Maxwell stated that the SFA has lost confidence in FIFA's leadership, aligning itself with the position held by UEFA and its 55 member associations. This decision follows the withdrawal of FIFA's controversial 'FIFA Forward Enterprise' proposal, which sought to sell stakes in major competitions to private investors.
By the numbers
Collapse of FIFA Forward Enterprise
The FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal aimed to create a subsidiary to manage commercial rights and event operations. FIFA had planned to sell a minority stake of up to 20% to private investors, with an initial valuation of $20 billion and a target of raising $4.2 billion. FIFA stated the funds were intended to expand development support for its 211 member associations, but the plan was abandoned following widespread opposition.
Growing Pressure on FIFA Leadership
In a joint open letter, UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and Concacaf accused FIFA leadership of deception and a failure of judgment regarding the FFE process. These confederations have called for an independent investigation into the matter, rejecting FIFA's plan to conduct an internal review. Additionally, FIFA's third-highest-ranking official, Kevin Lamour, resigned after publicly criticizing the proposal.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by France24 Sport, Anadolu Agency Sport.
