Wales breaks ranks with Fifa as Soviet collapse echoes in global power shifts

Wales withdraws support for Infantino, fracturing Fifa’s unity

Wales has become the first national football association to publicly withdraw its backing for Gianni Infantino’s bid to remain at the helm of Fifa, a move that exposes growing fractures within the sport’s governing body. The decision, announced by the Football Association of Wales (FAW) on Sunday, follows months of simmering discontent over Infantino’s leadership, particularly his handling of the 2026 and 2030 World Cup bids and his perceived centralisation of power.

While the FAW has not elaborated on its specific grievances, the withdrawal aligns with broader criticisms of Fifa’s governance, including its opaque decision-making processes and the perceived marginalisation of smaller footballing nations. The timing is particularly sensitive, as Infantino seeks re-election at next year’s Fifa Congress—a contest that now faces its first formal opposition.

The Welsh move is unlikely to unseat Infantino, who retains the support of larger federations and key stakeholders, but it signals a shift in the dynamics of global football politics. For a sport that has long relied on the illusion of unity, Wales’ stance may embolden other dissenting voices, particularly among nations that feel sidelined by Fifa’s commercial and political priorities.

The Soviet collapse revisited: a warning for brittle institutions

As Fifa grapples with its own legitimacy crisis, the publication of Robert Service’s The August Coup offers a timely reminder of how quickly institutional power can unravel. The book, a meticulous account of the failed 1991 coup by Soviet hardliners, argues that the USSR’s collapse was not the result of a single dramatic event but the culmination of decades of systemic decay. The three-day attempt to oust Mikhail Gorbachev, Service writes, revealed a regime that was "hollowed out" by its own contradictions—ideologically rigid yet incapable of enforcing its authority.

Service’s analysis draws parallels with contemporary geopolitical fragility, from the erosion of democratic norms in the West to the brittle autocracies of the 21st century. The Soviet Union’s implosion, he suggests, was not inevitable but the result of a leadership that failed to adapt to economic and social realities. The coup’s failure, marked by its almost farcical execution—including drunken plotting and logistical blunders—only accelerated the regime’s demise, leaving Russia to lurch between democracy and autocracy in the decades that followed.

The book’s release comes as Russia itself faces a moment of reckoning under Vladimir Putin, whose war in Ukraine has exposed the limits of his own authority. Service does not draw direct comparisons, but the subtext is clear: institutions that rely on coercion rather than consent are inherently unstable. The Soviet example serves as a cautionary tale for any organisation—whether a state, a corporation, or a sporting body—that assumes its power is unassailable.

What these shifts reveal about institutional power

The withdrawal of Welsh support for Infantino and the re-examination of the Soviet collapse may seem unrelated, but both events underscore a broader trend: the growing fragility of institutional legitimacy. In an era where trust in global governance is eroding, even long-established bodies like Fifa are vulnerable to internal dissent. Wales’ decision is not merely a footballing matter; it reflects a wider disillusionment with top-down authority, whether in politics, sport, or economics.

Similarly, Service’s book reminds us that the collapse of the Soviet Union was not an isolated historical event but a case study in how quickly power can disintegrate when it loses its social contract. The coup’s failure was not just a military or political miscalculation but a symptom of a system that had lost the ability to command loyalty. Today, as autocracies from Moscow to Pyongyang face their own crises of legitimacy, the lessons of 1991 remain starkly relevant.

For the UK, these developments carry particular resonance. The country’s post-Brexit foreign policy has often struggled to define its role in a world where traditional alliances are fraying. Wales’ stance on Fifa, while symbolic, hints at a broader willingness among smaller nations to challenge established power structures—a trend that could reshape everything from international diplomacy to global trade.

The question now is whether these moments of rupture will lead to meaningful reform or simply accelerate the fragmentation of the institutions that have long shaped the world order. In football, as in geopolitics, the answer may depend on whether those in power recognise the warning signs—or choose to ignore them.