Soccer <\/p>\n
A number of Concacaf countries are considering following Europe\u2019s lead by formally removing their \u00adsupport for the Fifa<\/a> president, Gianni \u00adInfantino.<\/p>\n All 41 members of Concacaf \u2013 the confederation which represents North America, Central America and the Caribbean \u2013 are understood to have submitted \u00adletters of endorsement for \u00adInfantino\u2019s re\u2011election campaign before the World Cup finals tournament, but many are now giving serious con\u00adsideration to withdrawing them.<\/p>\n Finland became the first of Fifa\u2019s 211 member associations to publicly withdraw its letter of support last Thursday, followed on Monday by the Football Association of Wales. The former Wales international Laura McAllister, a Uefa vice-president, had proposed the World Cup boycott at an emergency Uefa meeting last week, while the FA is also understood to have written to Fifa withholding its backing for Infantino<\/a>.<\/p>\n Concacaf held an emergency meeting last Friday, with a source who attended telling the Guardian that all members are strongly aligned with Uefa, which has led the calls for\u00a0Infantino to go.<\/p>\n The Concacaf meeting is understood to have featured pledges from several countries to withdraw their backing for Infantino, and some may have already done so in private.<\/p>\n One potential difficulty for Concacaf is the fact that four of its members \u2013 the US, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica \u2013 are bidding to stage the 2031\u00a0Women\u2019s World Cup in the next hosting decision to be taken by Fifa.<\/p>\n While there are no other bids on the table at present, the decision still has to be approved by Fifa at an extraordinary general meeting to be held in November.<\/p>\n The US Soccer Federation is understood to be deeply unhappy with Infantino \u2013 particularly with the \u00adbacklash his dealings with \u00adDonald Trump created for them over the Folarin Balogun affair \u2013 but, given the political sensitivities, may not feel able to take him on.<\/p>\n Another complicating factor is the fact that the Concacaf president, Victor Montagliani, has been widely touted as the potential candidate most able to take Infantino on in the presidential election next March.<\/p>\n Although Montagliani has called for a thorough review of Fifa\u2019s \u00adgovernance, the Canadian has yet to decide whether he wants to stand, and told the Guardian in an interview\u00a0last month<\/a> that his priority is being re\u2011elected as president of \u00adConcacaf, with those elections also taking place next year.<\/p>\n While Concacaf is united, the Asian Football Confederation, which also backed the Uefa-led opposition to Infantino\u2019s proposed World Cup sell\u2011off, appears to have splintered since the dramatic events of last week. Significantly, the financial powerhouses of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have both publicly backed Infantino to stay on, as have smaller countries such as Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Kuwait and Bhutan.<\/p>\n