Infantino Set for Unopposed Re-election as FIFA President Despite Opposition
Gianni Infantino is likely to be re-elected unopposed as FIFA president in March, with UEFA struggling to find a challenger and facing internal divisions.
Gianni Infantino appears increasingly likely to be re-elected as FIFA president without opposition, little more than two months after the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal to sell commercial rights to a private equity firm sparked widespread criticism. With the nomination deadline on 18 November approaching, senior figures in world football believe the 56-year-old may face no challenger ahead of the FIFA Congress in Rabat on 18 March.
UEFA, which had hoped to use the FFE controversy to remove Infantino, has so far failed to find a credible candidate. Victor Montagliani, the Concacaf president once considered the most viable opponent, has opted to seek re-election at Concacaf instead. Only former Switzerland defender Ramon Vega has put himself forward, but he is unlikely to secure the required five member association nominations.
Infantino has spent recent weeks touring the globe to solidify his position, attending events in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and Cape Verde. At an African football conference in Cape Verde, he highlighted that FIFA has invested $1bn in Africa over 10 years, and the 54 African nations pledged their unconditional support for a third time this year. Africa, South America, and Oceania back Infantino, while UEFA, Concacaf, and Asia oppose him, meaning he could be returned with the backing of only about half of FIFA's 211 members.
UEFA wants a president who is "a respected and unifying figure, deeply rooted in football" with a commitment to reform and integrity, but it has not identified such a person. Instead, UEFA has lodged claims in US courts to obtain documents related to FFE, hoping to pursue criminal mismanagement charges in Switzerland. However, legal efforts have so far resulted in only tit-for-tat exchanges.
At next Thursday's FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, Infantino will face his critics for the first time since the FFE fallout, with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin expected to attend. Ceferin, who confirmed he will stand for a fourth term, has been unrelenting in his campaign against Infantino. Yet internally UEFA has accepted that removing Infantino democratically is unlikely. Some supporters of Infantino's rivals argue that his funding model buys votes; his backers credit him with development. The battle may continue in courtrooms well into next year.
Even if Infantino remains in office, UEFA seeks governance reforms, but it may face obstacles. Asian confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, once a fierce critic, has distanced himself from a wholesale redesign of FIFA's governance, saying change should be driven by football institutions themselves. UEFA also wants each country to receive an additional $10m from FIFA's reserves of around $6bn, a demand that, if met, could further cement Infantino's position.
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