Israel football association withdraws support for FIFA president Infantino
Israel’s football association has withdrawn its endorsement of Gianni Infantino’s re-election, citing a governance rift between UEFA and FIFA as opposition to the FIFA president grows.
In short
- Israel’s football association has withdrawn its endorsement of Gianni Infantino’s re-election, citing a governance rift between UEFA and FIFA as opposition to the FIFA president grows.
The Israel Football Association has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s re-election as FIFA president, adding to a widening challenge from European football bodies over the governance of the global game.
IFA president Moshe Zuares informed FIFA of the decision in a letter sent on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, after the association’s board agreed unanimously to retract its earlier endorsement. The letter described an unprecedented loss of confidence between the visions of UEFA and FIFA and said the disagreement over global football governance was substantive and principled.
Israel joins the football associations of England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland in withdrawing support for Infantino. Although Israel is geographically in Asia, its football association has belonged to UEFA since 1994, and Zuares serves on UEFA’s executive committee.
The move follows the departure of FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour. Lamour had publicly criticised a proposal known as FIFA Forward Enterprise that would have brought private investment into commercial rights connected to the World Cup. His exit has intensified criticism of Infantino’s leadership and of the abandoned proposal.
Laura McAllister, a UEFA vice-president and former Wales international, said Lamour’s dismissal weakened FIFA’s administration and sent a troubling signal to officials seeking governance changes. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters separately argued that FIFA, as a nonprofit body, should not consider selling a stake in the World Cup.
The Israeli association’s decision is also notable because Infantino has sought to improve sporting relations between Israel and Palestine. An attempted joint photograph involving the two delegations at FIFA’s April congress did not take place after Palestinian federation president Jibril Rajoub declined to stand with an IFA vice-president.
The withdrawal does not itself remove Infantino from office, but it shows that opposition among UEFA-aligned associations is becoming more organised as FIFA faces pressure over its commercial strategy and internal leadership.
