Gianni Infantino’s plans to remain as FIFA president for a fourth term face an unprecedented challenge after his ambitious investment proposals for the world governing body’s competitions, including the World Cup, collapsed.
The Swiss intends to seek another four-year term at FIFA’s Congress in Morocco next March. Until recently, he had enjoyed the backing of an overwhelming majority of FIFA’s 211 member associations, but that support now appears to be weakening sharply.
UEFA has openly said it has lost confidence in Infantino, while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf have issued strong criticism of his leadership style. There have also been growing calls for him to resign immediately.
Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016. He was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and again in 2023, with little meaningful opposition on either occasion. However, the increasingly severe criticism could encourage serious challengers, with the deadline for submitting candidacies set for 18 November.
According to the German Press Agency, five figures could emerge as potential rivals.
Aleksander Ceferin
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, 58, is known for his combative personality. A former karate player and Slovenian lawyer, he has presented himself as the complete opposite of Infantino, although he has strongly defended UEFA’s commercial direction.
Ceferin is approaching the end of his current term as UEFA president and has announced that he will not stand for re-election in 2027. He led European opposition to Infantino and said at the start of 2024: “After a certain period, every organisation needs new blood.”
The question now is whether that principle could also apply to Ceferin himself.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi
Qatari businessman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, 52, has not hidden his openness to discussing the idea of holding the World Cup every two years, a proposal put forward by Infantino in 2021.
Al-Khelaifi has been president of French club Paris Saint-Germain since 2011 and is a board member of the beIN Sports sports and entertainment network. He also sits on UEFA’s executive committee and is a close ally of Ceferin.
Although he has denied wanting to become FIFA president, his considerable influence could make him a possible candidate if circumstances change.
Matthias Grafstrom
Matthias Grafstrom, 45, was born to a Swedish father and Dutch mother and was once Swiss junior table tennis champion.
He built his career as a football administrator before being formally appointed FIFA secretary general in 2024, succeeding Senegalese official Fatma Samoura.
Grafstrom is regarded as being very close to Infantino. However, media reports have suggested he believes the opportunity may now be available to seek the most powerful position in world football as criticism of his current boss increases.
Victor Montagliani
Canadian Victor Montagliani, 60, was born in Vancouver and became president of the Canadian Soccer Association in 2012.
Following the arrest of then-Concacaf president Jeffrey Webb during the corruption scandal that shook FIFA in 2015, Montagliani was given the opportunity to rise through the regional governing body. He became Concacaf president in 2016 and counts coaching great Carlo Ancelotti among those close to him.
More significantly, Concacaf under Montagliani unanimously rejected Infantino’s investment plans. That places him firmly among those in opposition to the FIFA president.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, 60, previously stood against Infantino in the 2016 FIFA presidential election. He lost by a narrow margin, despite facing allegations of corruption and human rights violations.
The Bahraini official is president of the Asian Football Confederation, which has also rejected Infantino’s investment proposals. The AFC has called for collective dialogue and respect for the existing leadership, circumstances that could make Sheikh Salman a potential contender once again.
