Mexico breaks ranks to support Infantino amid mounting pressure
The Mexican Football Federation has backed Fifa president Gianni Infantino, diverging from regional body Concacaf.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Mexico backs Fifa president Gianni Infantino, breaking away from regional body Concacaf.
- Argentina praises Infantino following his apology for past administrative errors.
- Uefa warns that a World Cup boycott remains on the table as conditions are unmet.
The global football landscape is facing intense division as the Mexican Football Federation has officially broken ranks with its regional governing body, Concacaf, to declare support for under-fire Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
As co-hosts of the upcoming 2026 World Cup, Mexico's decision to back Infantino's leadership mirrors a recent statement released by Conmebol, South America's governing body. Both organizations emphasized that they would firmly reject any push to remove Infantino without holding a proper vote involving all 211 Fifa member associations.
This split highlights a profound geopolitical tug-of-war within international football governance. While European associations are mobilizing against the leadership, Latin American and African federations are leveraging their voting power to stabilize the current administration.
The Mexican federation stated that it would neither recognize nor approve any official process initiated outside of established institutional frameworks, choosing instead to align with Infantino's call to develop football collectively for the 211 member associations.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Despite this backing, the 56-year-old Fifa chief continues to face fierce opposition from European football governing body Uefa. The backlash intensified following a controversial proposal regarding the Fifa Forward Enterprise subsidiary, which offered associations 40 million dollars or 30 million pounds in private investment funding, a deal Uefa previously dismissed as opaque.
"Assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again... These conditions have not been met."
Uefa
Although Infantino has since apologized for his errors and withdrawn the controversial proposal, Uefa maintains that European teams could still boycott the World Cup because necessary guarantees have not been fulfilled. Meanwhile, the Argentine FA praised Infantino's decade-long tenure, commending his focus on worldwide soccer development and stable governance.
Source: BBC Sport
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