Scottish FA joins European bodies in refusing to back Gianni Infantino’s FIFA re-election

The Scottish Football Association has officially withdrawn its support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, becoming the latest European football governing body to announce it will not vote for his reelection. The decision, confirmed by SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell on Monday, August 17, 2026, aligns Scotland with a growing coalition of associations, including those in England, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland, that have removed their backing for the Swiss administrator ahead of the FIFA Congress in early 2027.

Maxwell stated that the SFA's position is in line with UEFA's stance, which has expressed a lack of confidence in the current FIFA leadership. "The Scottish FA will not be voting for Gianni Infantino," Maxwell said. "That's in line with the UEFA position and we've maintained that stance throughout." He emphasized that the decision reflects a broader consensus among European football's 55 national associations, adding, "55 nations are stronger than one voice."

The withdrawal of support stems from a series of controversies surrounding Infantino's leadership, most notably his abandoned plan to sell a 21 percent stake in FIFA's commercial and ticketing rights for the...