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FIFA sent bombshell Gianni Infantino letter as Scotland become 21st nation to go against him

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) have become the latest governing body to publicly align itself with UEFA and express a lack of confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino

[Gianni Infantino]

Gianni Infantino is under increasing pressure as FIFA president(Image: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire)

Everything you need to know about the latest letter sent to FIFA about Gianni Infantino and Scotland becoming the 21st football association to withdraw their support...

1. FairSquare has called for FIFA's Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC) to rule Gianni Infantino ineligible to run for another term as president. As reported by The Athletic, the non-profit organisation states in a letter that he is "already serving his third and final term", which is the maximum allowed for any individual.
2. Infantino's first term was for three years, rather than the full four after succeeding the suspended Sepp Blatter. The FIFA Council confirmed in a late 2022 press release its agreement with the GACC that the period "does not count as a term of oce".
3. However, FairSquare says "a previous decision of the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee to discount his first term clearly violates the letter and purpose of the FIFA statutory provision on presidential term limits." They add: "Neither the FIFA Statutes nor the FIFA Governance Regulations make any provision for a presidential term to be discounted because it did not last for the maximum period of four years."
4. A hypothetical situation is also outlined in which Infantino repeatedly calls early elections and effectively "remains in power indefinitely". FairSquare acknowledges: "In view of Mr Infantino's various abuses of power and the failure of the FIFA Council to hold him to account, such a scenario is plausible," the letter writes.
5. The Scottish Football Association has also become the latest governing body, joining the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), and UEFA, to withdraw its support for Infantino. Their chief executive Ian Maxwell has told the BBC Sport : "The position of the SFA has been clear since the 55 UEFA associations met. We have aligned ourselves with the UEFA position, and 55 nations are stronger than one voice.
6. Maxwell continued: "Their statement since then has talked about a lack of confidence in the FIFA leadership, and the Scottish FA agree completely with that decision. The SFA will not be voting for Gianni Infantino come the re-election in early 2027."
7. They are now the 21st football association to oppose FIFA's president. The other 20 are: Albania, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guyana, Jordan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Sweden and Wales.
8. Infantino, however, does still have significant support, including the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). Other governing bodies to express support include Argentina, Bhutan, DR Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Grenada, Indonesia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malawi, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda.