Who Could Challenge Infantino for FIFA Presidency?
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- Victor Montagliani, Concacaf president, is widely seen as the front-runner to replace Infantino, with a 20-year soccer executive career including launching the Canadian Premier League and taking over Concacaf in 2016 after his two predecessors were indicted on U.S. corruption charges
- Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, AFC president and member of the Bahraini royal family, signed a letter to FIFA accusing the body of "fundamental weaknesses" in its handling of the FFE proposal and has opposed expanding the men's World Cup to 64 teams
- Nasser Al-Khelaifi (PSG president) is reportedly not interested in the FIFA job despite suggestions he should run, though the Qatar Football Association's backing of Infantino complicates any potential bid
- Aleksander Čeferin (UEFA president) has emerged as Infantino's biggest critic, refusing to attend the World Cup final over FIFA's handling of USMNT forward Folarin Balogun's red card
- Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Association, drew public backing from banned former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who said "it is time" for FIFA's first female president
- Mattias Grafström, FIFA secretary general, broke with Infantino over the FFE, calling it "a sad and reproachable series of events" in an email to staff; the FFE project was ultimately "permanently abandoned," according to Grafström
- Candidates must declare and present their proposals by Nov. 18 ahead of the March FIFA presidential election
Why it matters: The FFE proposal — which would have seen FIFA sell a minority stake to a private entity managing World Cup commercial interests — united opposition from UEFA and the AFC, exposing rifts that could reshape FIFA's governance and commercial direction. With six credible figures now in the challenger conversation and a Nov. 18 declaration deadline, the March election may not be the coronation Infantino once expected.
