Mexico's football federation has publicly declared its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a move that defies its regional governing body, Concacaf. This endorsement comes as Infantino faces criticism and a loss of confidence from other major football confederations.
The Mexican Football Federation's stance contradicts that of Concacaf, which had previously described Infantino's actions as "a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first" and a pattern of "missteps and similar behaviour."
Argentina's football association also praised Infantino for acknowledging and apologizing for his "errors." They characterized his decade-long tenure as FIFA president as "centred on the development of soccer worldwide and institutional strength based on a clear, stable, and transparent governance model."
Infantino, who is unanimously backed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has encountered significant opposition from European football's governing body, UEFA, and Concacaf. UEFA previously stated it had lost confidence in Infantino, referring to a proposal, the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), as a "shabby, back room, opaque deal."
UEFA indicated that European teams could still consider boycotting the World Cup, asserting that their conditions for support had not been met, despite Infantino's proposal being withdrawn. A UEFA statement emphasized the need for assurances that "such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again."
Individual associations, including the English FA, Wales, Albania, and Croatia, have also withdrawn their support for the 56-year-old FIFA president. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had initially aligned with UEFA and Concacaf in opposing Infantino's plans before they were rescinded.