FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing renewed pressure after the Football Association of Wales (FAW) withdrew its support for his bid to remain in office and called on him to resign.
FAW chief executive Noel Mooney, who previously worked with Infantino at UEFA, said the FIFA president should step down over the damage caused by his controversial proposal to create a new commercial entity to manage the governing body’s World Cup interests.
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Infantino’s plan, which sought to sell a minority stake in FIFA’s commercial operations to private investors, was abandoned following widespread opposition from football stakeholders.
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Despite the proposal being scrapped, Mooney believes the fallout has damaged FIFA and that Infantino should accept responsibility by leaving office.
“If I was sitting with Gianni right now, I would say to him he’s had a very good career,” Mooney said.
“As a general secretary of UEFA, he did very good things. At FIFA, there were things like, for example, the work Arsene Wenger has done with the technical development scheme that have really moved forward.
“But unfortunately with this episode that took place, with the proposal to sell off the crown jewels, if you will, I definitely think he should look to step down.”
Wales withdraws Infantino support
Wales became the first of the four UK home nations to withdraw its backing for Infantino’s bid to continue as FIFA president earlier this month.
The decision adds to growing opposition to Infantino following the collapse of his FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.
The proposed entity was designed to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, while allowing a private investment company to acquire a 21% stake.
The plan attracted significant criticism from UEFA and other football stakeholders, who raised concerns over FIFA’s governance and the potential commercialisation of its most valuable competitions.
Infantino eventually abandoned the proposal amid the backlash.
Pressure mounts on Infantino
Mooney’s intervention represents a significant escalation of the pressure on the FIFA president, particularly given his previous working relationship with Infantino.
The FAW chief said his opposition was based on the broader impact of the abandoned proposal rather than on Infantino’s record in football administration.
Infantino has yet to face a formal challenge that would force his departure, but the withdrawal of Wales’ support and growing calls for his resignation have increased scrutiny of his leadership.
The controversy has also raised wider questions about FIFA’s commercial strategy, governance and the future direction of the organisation under Infantino.
