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Wales first to withdraw support for Infantino's FIFA re-election

The Football Association of Wales has become the first football association to officially withdraw support for Gianni Infantino's re-election as FIFA president, piling pressure on the embattled leader following his abandoned plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors.

MW
·4h ago·2 min read
Pressure grows on FIFA chief Infantino to resign as FA member pulls support
Pressure grows on FIFA chief Infantino to resign as FA member pulls supportPhotograph: Wikimedia Commons

Wales has become the first football association to officially withdraw support for Gianni Infantino's re-election as FIFA president.

It follows the loss of confidence in the Fifa president following his scrapped plans to sell stakes in its competitions to private investment firms. Under the initial proposal to launch FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), football's world governing body aimed to raise up to $4.2bn (£3.1bn) from external investors through the sale of minority, non-controlling stakes in FFE, which it said would be valued at around $20bn (£15bn). The governing body said its plans - which would have required approval from member associations - could deliver more than $10bn in "football development funding" over the next four years.

Infantino was forced to abandon his sell-off plan in the early hours of Saturday morning and UEFA wants him to pay for his latest error of judgment with his job.

Infantino had received more than 200 letters of support from FIFA's 211 associations - including 52 of the 55 who make up UEFA.

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