FIFA President Gianni Infantino will attend funeral services for those who died in the Colombian plane crash earlier this week ©Getty Images

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has postponed a visit to Australia so that he can attend funeral services in Brazil for the 71 people that died in a Colombian plane crash earlier this week.

Infantino had planned to attend the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup Final in Port Moresby this weekend after accepting an invitation from Football Federation Australia (FFA) chairman Steven Lowy.

North Korea are due to take on France in the final of the tournament tomorrow, but Infantino will not be attending following his decision to travel to Brazil instead.

According to the FFA, Lowy spoke with Infantino last night and asked the FIFA President to personally convey the condolences of the Australian football community to those affected by the crash.

On Tuesday, a plane carrying members of Brazilian football team Chapecoense crashed on its approach to Medellin in Colombia.

The death toll from the crash is 71, with 70 dying on-board the plane before another passenger died in hospital.

The team was due to play against Medellin-based side Atlético Nacional in the first leg of the final of the Copa Sudamericana, South America's second most important club competition behind the Copa Libertadores.

A plane carrying members of Brazilian football team Chapecoense crashed, killing 71 of the 77 people on board ©Getty Images
A plane carrying members of Brazilian football team Chapecoense crashed, killing 71 of the 77 people on board ©Getty Images

According to Brazil's O Globo newspaper, delays getting from São Paulo to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, where the team had chartered the plane, meant a scheduled refuelling stop in the Bolivian city of Cobija was abandoned because the airport does not operate at night.

The pilot had the option to refuel in Colombia’s capital Bogotá, but instead headed straight to Medellin.  

In a leaked recording of the final minutes of the doomed flight, the pilot can be heard repeatedly requesting authorisation from the air traffic tower to land because of "fuel problems".

A controller explained another plane from airline VivaColombia had been diverted with mechanical problems and had priority. 

As the plane circled in a holding pattern, the pilot grew more desperate, saying "complete electrical failure, without fuel".

Just before the audio recording ends, the pilot is heard asking urgently for directions to the airport.

The plane’s black boxes, which record flight details, are due to be sent to the United Kingdom to be opened by investigators.

The date for Mr Infantino's rescheduled visit to Australia will be announced in due course.