FFF to decide France's position on Gianni Infantino's FIFA future

The French Football Federation will decide its official position on Gianni Infantino’s possible re-election as FIFA president after a meeting of its executive committee on 10 September. FFF president Philippe Diallo has confirmed that the federation will not announce its stance before consulting its governing body, despite his own opposition to Infantino serving another term.

Diallo’s position puts France among the major European football powers questioning the direction of FIFA. He has argued that the current crisis should be used to reconsider how the world governing body operates, with national federations given a greater role in major decisions. The FIFA presidential election is scheduled for 18 March 2027, meaning the FFF does not regard the timing of its decision as urgent.

“Now, it is time to take clear positions,” Diallo said in comments carried by L’Équipe. He also stressed that his personal view could not become the official position of the federation without discussion by its executive committee. The 10 September meeting will therefore be the point at which France moves from internal opposition by its president to a formal institutional stance.

The disagreement intensified after a FIFA plan to transfer part of the rights connected to the World Cup to private investors. Diallo said he was one of the first to oppose the proposal. He later took part in discussions led by UEFA with European federations, while the project was eventually withdrawn. The FFF president considers that withdrawal a success, but wants the episode to lead to broader changes rather than remain an isolated reversal.

Diallo’s central complaint concerns consultation. “We can no longer learn about the main decisions concerning football through the press. We can no longer suffer decisions without being consulted, involved,” he explained. His criticism is directed not only at the proposed commercial structure, but at the process by which major decisions are taken inside international football.

France’s decision will come as UEFA figures coordinate their response to Infantino. Diallo was in Monaco for meetings with UEFA leaders and is a member of the European governing body’s executive committee. Several European federations and UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin have already positioned themselves against another Infantino mandate. Italy also declared its opposition on 26 August, citing the FIFA president’s recent initiatives.

The UEFA challenge was expected to become more visible around the Champions League draw on 27 August. European officials were set to use the gathering to organise their strategy against Infantino. UEFA was also due to announce the end of its boycott of FIFA competitions, allowing the women’s Under-20 World Cup to proceed normally. That step would not change the broader European objective of seeking Infantino’s departure.

For the FFF, the issue is therefore both about the next FIFA election and the balance of power between FIFA, UEFA and national federations. The withdrawn World Cup rights plan gave European opponents a concrete example of the concerns they have raised. Diallo wants the federation to use that moment to demand deeper reform and a decision-making process in which national associations are consulted before major initiatives are announced.

The executive committee’s meeting will determine whether France formally backs the European opposition or adopts another position. Until then, Diallo’s personal stance remains clear, while the FFF’s official line remains undecided. The 18 March 2027 election leaves time for further discussions, but the French federation is preparing to make its position public at a moment when European resistance to Infantino is becoming more organised.