Three European federations simultaneously turn their backs on FIFA President Infantino.

The Welsh, Serbian, and Swedish football federations have simultaneously declared their opposition to Gianni Infantino's re-election as FIFA President, further escalating the power struggle at the global football organization.

On August 3, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) became the first national federation to publicly withdraw its support for Gianni Infantino in the election. FIFA President for the 2027–2031 term.

In a communication sent to FIFA, the FAW criticized deficiencies related to governance, decision-making processes, and the leadership qualities of the head of the world football body. "Failing to prioritize the best interests of football is something we cannot tolerate,"the Football Association of Wales stressed in its statement.

Right after Wales' move, the Serbian Football Association also confirmed it was retracting its support for Infantino. Meanwhile, the Swedish Football Association held an extraordinary meeting and decided it would not back the incumbent FIFA President in the forthcoming election.

Sweden was not part of the group of federations that had previously sent official letters supporting Infantino, so its decision is seen as a public stance of opposition rather than a withdrawal of a prior commitment.

The wave of opposition emerged after FIFA's plan to partially commercialize its major tournaments collapsed. According to the controversial proposal, FIFA intended to create a new entity to handle the commercial exploitation of top competitions, including the World Cup, and then sell about 20% of its shares to private investors.

The plan could have generated around $4.2 billion for FIFA, but it faced strong resistance from UEFA and numerous other football organizations. Infantino was subsequently forced to scrap the proposal. UEFA also warned of potential legal action and demanded that FIFA preserve any documents related to the plan's development.

The simultaneous rejection by three European federations is considered a severe blow to the FIFA President's re-election campaign. The English Football Association is also reportedly preparing to take a similar step, while many UEFA members may continue to withdraw their previously submitted letters of support.

Mr. Infantino has been FIFA President since February 2016 and has declared his intention to run for another term in 2027. The election is scheduled to take place in Morocco in March 2027.

Although he still enjoys support from some federations outside Europe, the current wave of opposition indicates that Infantino's path to re-election is no longer straightforward. From a candidate with virtually no challengers, the head of FIFA now faces the most serious crisis of confidence since he took office.