The German Football Association has declined to sign a letter of support for Gianni Infantino's re-election as FIFA President — a deliberate snub that signals just how far the governing body's reputation has fallen during this summer's World Cup in North America.
According to BILD, the DFB under President Bernd Neuendorf ignored a letter circulated by FIFA's European director Elkhan Mammadov during the tournament, which sought backing for Infantino ahead of the FIFA Congress vote scheduled for March 18, 2027. Germany didn't just stay quiet — they actively distanced themselves.
A World Cup Full of Self-Inflicted Wounds
Infantino's 2026 tournament has been a catalogue of own goals. The decision to lift Folaron Balogun's suspension — allowing the USMNT striker to play in the round of 16 against Belgium after what appeared to be direct intervention from U.S. President Donald Trump — drew immediate and widespread condemnation. Human rights organisation FairSquare has since filed a complaint against Infantino to the International Olympic Committee, where he also holds membership, citing a breach of political neutrality rules.
That's not the only stain on the tournament. Dynamic pricing left tickets beyond the reach of most supporters. A ban on reusable water bottles inside stadiums was reversed only after public outcry. The Iran national team's situation amid U.S.-Iran tensions was mishandled. Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States. Each incident alone might be manageable. Together, they paint a picture of an organisation lurching from crisis to crisis with no coherent leadership response.
Infantino Isn't Going Anywhere
None of this will cost him the presidency. Africa, Asia and South America have already committed their support, and those blocs carry enough votes to make the result a formality. Infantino announced his candidacy at the 76th FIFA Congress in April, marking a decade since he was first elected.
"I want to tell you first — the 211 Member Associations — that I will be a candidate for the election of FIFA President next year," he said at the time. The room applauded. The re-election, barring something extraordinary, will go through.
The DFB's refusal matters less as a practical threat and more as a symbol. When one of world football's founding nations — a country that has won four World Cups and carries enormous institutional weight — publicly distances itself from the sitting FIFA president mid-tournament, it reflects a level of dissatisfaction that can't be brushed off as political noise. Whether Infantino governs with that in mind is another question entirely.
