UEFA Suiza sees federation pull support from Infantino over Balogun

The Swiss Football Association (ASF) announced on Thursday that it is withdrawing its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid to remain FIFA president, aligning with UEFA Suiza after the ‘Balogun’ incident at the 2026 Mundial and concerns over the governing body’s transparency.

Reasons behind the withdrawal

In June the ASF had publicly endorsed Infantino, a Swiss citizen, but the federation says the ‘Balogun’ episode at the 2026 Mundial – when the president of Estados Unidos admitted calling the FIFA chief to request the suspension of forward Folarin Balogun be lifted – forced a thorough reevaluation. The incident, often referred to as the Balogun' case, highlighted what the ASF describes as a lack of transparency. Combined with Infantino’s attempts to commercially exploit competition rights, the federation concluded it could no longer support his candidacy.

Implications for the FIFA election

The ASF said: “These facts raise fundamental questions about direction, governance, transparency and decision‑making processes within FIFA”, underscoring its concerns. The association added that credibility, transparency and respect for the statutes are essential for trust in the world of Fútbol, but it believes those standards have not been met since June 2026.

As the federation of the country that hosts both FIFA and UEFA headquarters, the ASF feels a special responsibility, especially as the two bodies have been at odds since Infantino’s commercial push. It will therefore continue to seek constructive collaboration with UEFA and FIFA, POR the benefit of the sport in the ESTADOS UNIDOS and beyond.

Infantino remains the sole candidate for the 2027‑2031 term, with the FIFA Congress scheduled for March next year in Rabat, Morocco, where 211 national federations, including the ASF, will vote.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, speaking at the UEFA assembly, called INFANTINO “Emperor” and urged his departure, saying football does not need emperors and that selling its future is not development. He concluded that the sport is larger than any individual who governs it.