Scottish FA finally break their silence as they announce withdrawal of support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino
Nearly two weeks after England and Wales announced they were withdrawing their support for Infantino in the upcoming FIFA Presidential elections, the Scottish FA finally took a stand.
The Scottish FA has finally ended weeks of speculation by announcing that it will not vote for Gianni Infantino’s re‑election as FIFA president in 2027, aligning formally with UEFA’s loss of confidence in his leadership.
Their admission comes nearly two weeks after other home nations – Wales, England and the Republic of Ireland – had already withdrawn their backing following the controversial plan’s by the FIFA President to sell a stake in World Cup commercial and ticketing rights to private investors.
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell, speaking after the unveiling of new Scotland manager Sébastien Pocognoli, declared that the association “has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino” and will not support his bid for a fourth term. He framed the decision as consistent with the stance taken by all 55 UEFA member associations after an emergency meeting, saying: “We have aligned ourselves with the Uefa position and 55 nations are stronger than one voice.”
Maxwell added that UEFA’s statement on a “lack of confidence in the Fifa leadership” is something the Scottish FA “agree completely with”, before confirming: “The SFA will not be voting for Gianni Infantino come the re‑election in early 2027.”
The Scottish FA has still not sent in a letter to FIFA officially withdrawing their support, with claims that SFA president Mike Mulraney’s role as head of FIFA’s finance committee delayed the decision were rubbished by Maxwell, insisting the board’s position had been clear since the UEFA summit.
Before the Scottish FA’s statement this afternoon, the home nations had already signalled their break with Infantino.
Wales was the first to formally withdraw support, citing “failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgment”. England followed, confirming it no longer endorses Infantino for a fourth term and calling for a “full and robust review of FIFA’s leadership and governance”. While the Republic of Ireland’s FAI rescinded its earlier letter of support after a board meeting, while the IFA in the North said it backs UEFA’s stance.
Against that backdrop, the Scottish FA’s official confirmation today removes any question marks about Scotland’s position in the 2027 vote.
Despite the European revolt, Infantino still commands support in other confederations. Africa, South America and Oceania have broadly backed him, although the likes of New Zealand has said it will not follow the Oceania confederation line, and some Concacaf and AFC members have also broken ranks. The 36‑strong FIFA Council appears similarly divided, raising questions about whether Infantino could govern effectively even if he wins re‑election among the 211 member associations.
UEFA’s threat of a boycott remains live. The first practical test is the FIFA Under‑20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, due to start in just over three weeks and featuring several European teams.
With no declared challenger announced yet ahead of the 18 November deadline for nominations, the immediate question is whether Infantino’s opponents can unite around an alternative or use their leverage to force concessions before the March 2027 vote.
The SFA’s statement does not solve that puzzle, but it does ensure Scotland’s voice is now explicitly part of the pressure campaign and that any claim of “silent support” from Hampden is no longer tenable.