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The Irish Football Association has become the latest national governing body to withdraw its backing for the head of the global game, FIFA President Gianni Infantino. A short statement issued from Windsor Park said: “The Irish FA has withdrawn its support for FIFA President, Gianni Infantino. ”The proposal to sell part of FIFA’s assets to a private equity firm without consultation, represents more than a failure of communication. “In our view, it raises fundamental questions about strategy, governance and stewardship of our assets. “We believe the time has come for change.” The organisation which oversees soccer in Northern Ireland follows the Football Association of Ireland, in publicly declaring opposition to the Swiss-Italian staying on in charge of FIFA. The IFA is the last of the bodies representing ‘the home nations’ to do so, following on from England’s Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, and the Football Association of Wales. There has been a growing chorus of criticism of Infantino after he unilaterally proposed plans to sell off share in FIFA competitions, shortly after the completion of this summer’s World Cup, which was held in Canada, Mexico, and (mostly) the USA. UEFA, the European governing body, swiftly slammed those plans, and just yesterday high-profile current and former footballers – including a member of a FIFA player panel – say “change is necessary” in the organisation’s leadership as pressure continues to mount on its president Infantino. Mikael Silvestre, the former Manchester United defender and part of FIFA’s Players’ Voice Panel, issued a statement calling for change at the top of FIFA on his X account on Monday and wrote above it: “Enough is enough!” The same statement was also shared on social media by other big-name players, including England’s double European champion Lucy Bronze and France’s 1998 World Cup-winning midfielder Emmanuel Petit. Infantino is facing calls to quit from his UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin in the wake of a hugely controversial plan to sell stakes in a company to run the World Cup to private investors. Late last week UEFA ramped up the pressure on the FIFA by holding talks over an expanded Nations League which would involve non-European teams. It is understood that European football’s governing body is in discussions with CONCACAF, the confederation which represents the nations of North and Central America plus the Caribbean. The talks could lead to an expansion of the Nations League as early as the 2028-29 edition, sources have indicated. The discussions are a further indication of UEFA and CONCACAF working together on pan-continental competitions to the exclusion of FIFA. Their respective presidents, Ceferin and Victor Montagliani, are both understood to be of the view that Infantino should resign and leave his position with dignity, rather than challenge for re-election amid the controversy surrounding his failed plan to involve private investors in the running of the World Cup and other FIFA events.