Officials who could challenge Infantino for the FIFA presidency
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has failed with his plans involving billion-dollar investors in events including the World Cup which could also impact his planned re-election. Infantino wants to run for another four-year term at the FIFA congress in Morocco in March and has reportedly support from a vast majority of the 211 FIFA members.
FIFA's Gianni Infantino, who has been leading the organization since 2016 and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023, is facing opposition from various confederations. UEFA, the European football confederation, has expressed its loss of confidence in Infantino, while AFC (Asian Football Confederation) and CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) have criticized his leadership.
Despite the fact that no rival candidate has emerged so far, with the candidatures due by November 18, several individuals have been mentioned as potential challengers.
Aleksander Ceferin, the president of UEFA, has been described as someone who could challenge Infantino. A former karate fighter and Slovenian lawyer, Ceferin has been pushing for commercialization in European football. At the end of his tenure as UEFA president, he has suggested that "fresh blood" is needed in organizations. Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the chairman of the European Football Clubs association and president of Paris Saint-Germain, is another possible challenger.
Although he has not dismissed the idea of a World Cup every two years, he has not expressed interest in becoming FIFA president.
Mattias Grafström, a 45-year-old Swiss-Dutch administrator, is another potential candidate. He was appointed as FIFA's secretary general in 2024, following an interim period, and is a close confidant of Infantino. However, media reports suggest that Grafström sees an opportunity to claim the top position in world football. Victor Montagliani, a 60-year-old Canadian, is another contender.
He has led CONCACAF since 2016 and has been a close associate of coaching legend Carlo Ancelotti. Montagliani has expressed his interest in advancement after CONCACAF unanimously rejected Infantino's investor plans. Lastly, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the president of the Asian Football Confederation, has previously challenged Infantino in 2016 and narrowly lost the election.
Although he faced allegations of corruption and human rights violations, he could potentially challenge Infantino again.
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