The Mexican football federations have broken ranks with the rest of Concacaf by issuing their public backing for beleaguered Fifa president Gianni Infantino in a move that has deepened world football’s civil war.
Concacaf has called for a thorough review of Fifa’s governance in the light of the World Cup sell-off debacle, and is backing Uefa’s demands for meaningful change, although has yet to follow their European counterparts by threatening to boycott tournaments if they do not achieve their objectives.
A statement issued on Thursday night by the Mexico federation (FMF) went some way towards explaining Concacaf’s reticence, as their second biggest member after the United States was unequivocal in their support for Infantino.
In a Fifa statement released under Infantino’s name on Wednesday, the world governing body had called for its institutional practices to be respected, a coded way of condemning any leadership challenge before next March’s scheduled presidential election, which the FMF endorsed.
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“The Mexican Football Federation is convinced that football is its fundamental value and that its best defence lies in institutional integrity and respect for the governance and processes that safeguard it,” the FMF said.
“Therefore, the FMF will not recognise or approve any process convened outside of this institutional framework, and it embraces the call issued by President Infantino on August 5th, 2026, to collectively continue developing football for the benefit of its 211 member associations. The FMF supports President Infantino’s leadership in continuing to promote the development of football through institutional strengthening.”
The Argentina Football Association (AFA) followed Mexico’s lead by backing Infantino in a gushing tribute and expressing support for his leadership over the past decade.
Unlike Concacaf, South America’s Conmebol appears united behind Infantino, while in an intriguing subplot there is growing speculation that Mexico would like to switch confederations to join the latter.
“In relation to the recent events that are public knowledge, we must recognise the decision of the administration to withdraw a project that generated, within the football family and from its inception, many more uncertainties than certainties,” the AFA statement read.
“That is why it is worth highlighting the acceptance of the errors made in this process and the apology expressed in the heartfelt message displayed to the 211 member associations of Fifa. Prioritising governance standards is a fundamental pillar for strengthening good relations between Fifa, its member associations and the confederations.
“In the same way, and as we have already expressed, you are leading a management that led to a profound transformation of Fifa, which opened the doors of the organisation to all member associations and confederations, so that with a frank and direct dialogue, we can, together, continue to promote football at all levels and disciplines.
“From our point of view, this transformation was based on a model of transparent governance, respect for statutory structures and the monitoring of democratic procedures, essential principles for the football family to be united, firm and working to continue generating improvements in sports and institutions, which have an impact on a better quality of life for millions of human beings who practice our beloved sport.
“Accordingly, with the upcoming Fifa Congress approaching, the association that we proudly preside over firmly believes and reaffirms that the way forward is to continue to work under your leadership, so that we can continue to develop better and even more inclusive football.”
Earlier on Thursday the Confederation of African Football had reaffirmed its support for Infantino, providing him with further allies as he fights to extend his 10-year reign.
In contrast, the Norwegian FA will ask Infantino to resign with immediate effect after his doomed attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Norway is the first federation to call directly for the Fifa president to step down.
The decision was made in a meeting of the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) on Thursday night. Norway has consistently taken a lead in efforts to scrutinise Fifa’s governance and recent events have taken any faith in its leadership beyond the point of no return.
“We decided that there is no trust in Infantino now,” the NFF president, Lise Klaveness, told the Guardian. “We have been worried consistently and there has been one more step in worrying direction every year, every part of the year. The trust is now gone for us, there is no way back for Infantino.
“We’re left in a very polarised cooperation globally and, I would say, chaos. So we will ask him to resign immediately so that the global football community can look ahead and cooperate going into the future.”
The NFF is expected to formally write a letter requesting Infantino’s resignation in the coming week. Norway was among a handful of countries not to back his re-election as president next March, although several European federations have withdrawn their endorsement in the past week.
Norway will also formalise a fresh complaint to Fifa’s ethics committee on three fronts, taking in the FFE scandal, the award of Fifa’s “peace prize” to Donald Trump and the Folarin Balogun affair of the recent World Cup. It will attempt to bring a number of major federations onboard for its submission. — Guardian
Source: The Irish Times
