Overview
- The Scottish Football Association announced on Monday, August 17, 2026, that it will not vote for Gianni Infantino in the 2027 presidential election and tied its decision to the collapsed FIFA Forward Enterprise privatization plan.
- Ian Maxwell, the Scottish FA chief executive, said the federation would not back Infantino because of leadership failures, a lack of transparency and poor dialogue with member associations.
- Scotland joins England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and other national federations that have publicly withdrawn support, while UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC issued a joint letter saying trust in the president has been broken.
- No formal challenger has yet been registered and the deadline to file candidacies is 18 November 2026, leaving an uncertain vote arithmetic as federations reshape their positions.
- Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, must still win a majority of the 211 member associations to remain president, so coordinated regional withdrawals from European federations could materially change his re-election prospects.