Israel Football Association withdraws support for Fifa president Gianni Infantino
On Tuesday, 18 August 2026, the Israel Football Association (IFA) formally withdrew its support for Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s re-election in a letter sent by IFA head Moshe Zuares, a letter which has been seen by the Guardian.
The IFA’s decision follows Gianni Infantino’s sacking of his chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, after the Frenchman criticised the World Cup sell-off plan, a move that hardened opposition to the Fifa president. The IFA has been a member of Uefa since 1994 and Zuares sits on Uefa’s executive committee. Infantino has invested political capital in attempting to improve sporting relations with Palestine, having tried at Fifa’s congress in April in Vancouver to stage a photo of the two delegations that Palestinian Football Federation president Jibril Rajoub refused to join alongside IFA vice-president Basim Sheikh Suliman. Infantino also wants Israel and Palestine to compete in the first match of a new under-15 tournament in the United States next month.
In his letter Zuares said recent events had created an “unprecedented crisis of confidence” between the visions of Uefa and Fifa, and described the rift as “profound, substantive, and principled, and compelling all stakeholders to reconsider the path forward.” He added that the IFA’s board had taken the decision unanimously and wrote: “We have no choice but to retract our previous letter of support, in the sincere hope that fruitful dialogue among all parties will eventually restore a shared, proper vision and direction for world football.”
The Israeli retraction echoes recent withdrawals of backing from other Uefa members, including England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. The move came after confirmation on Monday night that Kevin Lamour had left Fifa; Lamour had been deeply critical of Infantino’s Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
Lamour said on 31 July: “If that means I lose my job, then so be it. I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”
Another Uefa executive committee member, the former Wales Women international Laura McAllister, criticised Lamour’s sacking, saying it “sends a deeply troubling message” and casting doubt over efforts to recalibrate Fifa after the FFE controversy. McAllister, one of five Uefa vice-presidents who worked with Lamour before his move to Fifa in 2024, praised him in a statement: “During the shabby events of the past weeks, he showed himself to be a courageous advocate for the most important stakeholders in football. Kevin’s sacking seriously weakens Fifa’s administration, while undermining this unique opportunity to shift the culture at Fifa and to reset the organisation on sporting values, not simply commercial and financial ones. Fifa is not the president, it is the whole football family. As I have said repeatedly, world football needs strong, principled, independent leaders who are prepared to speak up, challenge when necessary, and stand firmly by their values and those of the global game. Instead, the loss of a leader of Kevin’s calibre sends a deeply troubling message to all of us seeking change.”
The IFA’s withdrawal adds to the mounting opposition facing Infantino and his administration, and with critics mobilising after Lamour’s dismissal efforts to force him out are expected to intensify over the next few days.