FA chair Debbie Hewitt wants to become the UK’s representative on Fifa – to ensure English football has a voice in the world’s corridors of power.
Wembley boss Hewitt knows Fifa president Gianni Infantino from her role with sponsors Visa Europe.
FA chair Debbie Hewitt wants to become the UK’s representative on Fifa
But the lack of English power at Fifa was made clear by the armband row that dogged the build-up to the opening group game with Iran.
And that has helped confirm the FA’s belief that it needs to regain the British vice-presidency role taken by Northern Ireland’s David Martin after Hewitt’s disgraced predecessor Greg Clarke was forced to quit in 2020.
An FA spokesperson said: “International football is a strategic priority for the FA.
“Debbie Hewitt is standing for the position of Uefa British Vice President in the Fifa Council with the full support of the FA Board.“
The British vice presidency has been in place since the four Home nations joined Fifa in 1946 and despite threats a decade ago it remains firmly established as part of the hierarchy.
But England have only held the role for Clarke’s brief 18-month spell from 2019 since the retirement of Geoff Thompson in 2011.
The decision will cause upset in Belfast with Martin only having served in the £210,000 per year role since April 2021.
FA chiefs will lodge Hewitt’s candidate papers by the January 5 deadline and unless Martin steps down there will then be a vote of all 55 Uefa members at the Congress in Lisbon in April.
But Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin will actively lobby on Hewitt’s behalf as he agrees European football needs a strong English voice at Fifa’s top table.
Fifa, too, are understood to be likely to welcome Hewitt’s elevation to the role.
Debbie Hewitt during a Uefa Nations League match between England and Hungary
