Israel Pulls Support for Embattled Infantino as FIFA Revolt Gains Momentum Before World Cup 2026

The pressure on FIFA president Gianni Infantino intensified this week after the Israel Football Association became the latest member federation to formally withdraw its support for his re-election. In a letter sent on Tuesday by IFA chief Moshe Zuares, Israeli football's governing body cited an 'unprecedented crisis of confidence' in the leadership of the world game and called for figures with the 'proper vision and direction for world football' to steer the sport forward. The intervention lands at a perilous moment. With the expanded 48-team World Cup 2026 drawing ever closer across the United States, Mexico and Canada, FIFA's focus should be on delivering the biggest tournament in the sport's history. Instead, the organisation finds itself consumed by an internal power struggle at its very summit. The flashpoint is Infantino's decision to sack his chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, after the Frenchman criticised the controversial plan to sell off World Cup rights. Rather than quelling dissent, the dismissal appears to have hardened attitudes against the FIFA president — and according to Guardian Football, efforts to force him out of office are expected to intensify over the coming days. Israel's public break adds a significant voice to the growing chorus of opposition. That Zuares chose to put the IFA's dissatisfaction in writing signals just how far confidence in Infantino has eroded among the membership he needs to survive. The question now is whether the dam breaks. If further associations follow Israel's lead in the coming days, what began as anger over a single high-profile sacking could snowball into a full-blown revolt that threatens Infantino's grip on the presidency before a ball is even kicked in North America. For the Swiss administrator, the stakes could hardly be higher. Overseeing the first 48-team World Cup was meant to be the crowning achievement of his tenure. Instead, with a re-election battle looming, he faces the very real prospect of being forced out of office with football's biggest showpiece on the horizon — and a growing list of federations making clear they no longer want him fronting it. How the coming 72 hours unfold may determine whether Infantino can stabilise his position, or whether the campaign to remove him gathers the momentum his critics believe is now inevitable. This article is based on original reporting by Guardian Football.