GENEVA: The Swiss Football Association (SFV) announced on Wednesday that it was withdrawing its support for Gianni Infantino in next year’s FIFA presidential election.
Numerous leading European national associations have withdrawn their support for Infantino after he caused uproar in July with proposals to create a commercial subsidiary to run its biggest events, such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.
The SFV’s decision carries weight as Infantino is Swiss, and both FIFA and European football’s governing body UEFA are based in Switzerland.
The SFV said that its executive board met on Friday and “decided to withdraw the support it had declared in June 2026 for Infantino’s candidacy for a further term as FIFA president”.
Infantino’s plan would have allowed private investors to acquire stakes in a company created under the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative. The backlash that followed led to the proposals being quickly shelved. SFV president Peter Knabel said that Swiss football’s governing body expected FIFA’s leadership to uphold the highest standards of transparency, accountability and institutional responsibility.
“Key questions regarding the background, responsibilities and decision-making processes remain unanswered. As these have not been convincingly clarified, we cannot justify continuing to support Gianni Infantino’s candidacy,” he said.
Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2026
