England's Football Association is set to formally withdraw its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino's bid for re-election for the 2027-2031 term, according to a source familiar with the matter, intensifying the growing backlash against his leadership.
The move follows Wales' formal withdrawal of support and comes after FIFA abandoned its proposal to sell roughly a 20% stake in a new entity overseeing competitions including the World Cup.
The plan, which aimed to raise up to $4.2 billion from private investors, was scrapped following strong resistance from stakeholders, shifting attention to the political consequences for Infantino ahead of the next FIFA presidential election.
The Football Association of Wales became the first national federation to officially withdraw its endorsement of Infantino's candidacy.
It said the decision reflected "recent failures in good governance, processes, leadership, values, stakeholder management, communications and sound judgement" and stated that Infantino had lost its confidence.
England's expected withdrawal marks a further escalation after the FA had already called for a "full and robust review of FIFA's leadership and governance."
According to reports, the English FA is not expected to publicize its withdrawal letter as efforts continue to build broader international support for opposition beyond Europe.
Pressure on Infantino has increased after UEFA and CONCACAF said they had lost confidence in his leadership following the failed investment proposal.
UEFA welcomed FIFA's decision to abandon the plan and confirmed it had issued a document preservation order covering emails, files, and other records in anticipation of possible investigations.
Additional European football associations are expected to withdraw their backing, with Finland having already done so.
Although Infantino announced in April his intention to seek a fourth term as FIFA president, the collapse of the World Cup investment initiative has exposed wider dissatisfaction among member associations and placed greater scrutiny on his path toward the March FIFA Congress in Morocco.