Next FIFA president: Candidates to challenge Gianni Infantino once presidential election is called

Next FIFA president: Candidates to challenge Gianni Infantino once presidential election is called originally appeared on The Sporting News .

Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

There is a growing animosity inside and outside FIFA regarding the standing of president Gianni Infantino, who has spent a decade in charge of the football governing body.

For the majority of Infantino's 10 years in charge, the feeling within FIFA has been that of a united front behind Infantino, even as fans and media express frustration with the direction of the game throughout recent years. The Swiss-born football executive has seen the non-profit's cash reserves grow exponentially, while the World Cup has blossomed into a cash behemoth.

Yet it only took one major controversy for Infantino's position to become not just tenuous, but downright toxic, as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal has completely eroded faith in the president and generated criticism and vitriol across all corners of the football world.

The Sporting News explains if Infantino will step down, and who could push to take over if the current president is either ushered out or loses the upcoming presidential vote in early 2027.

MORE: Every confederation's response to Infantino's FFE plan, including UEFA and CONCACAF aggression

Will Gianni Infantino resign?

At this point, there is no indication that Gianni Infantino has any intention of stepping down, even as the football world starts to unite against him. In fact, there is no indication that he has changed his mind about running for reelection in March should he make it that far.

However, there is growing pressure for Infantino to reconsider his position as FIFA president, both outwardly and internally.

According to a report by  Tom Morgan of The Telegraph  on August 1, UEFA has informed Gianni Infantino that the federation will trigger a vote of no confidence unless the FIFA president resigns of his own accord.

UEFA released a public statement that implicated Infantino as a tyrant whose "secret schemes on fast track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game" have fractured the sport's power structure and left the organisation's executive committee fighting from within.

"The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA's confidence but also that of many other members of the football family," the statement read.

There are multiple reports over the last few days as well as statements from at least three confederations that have indicated anger within FIFA towards Infantino's secrecy over the FFE deal.

CONCACAF expressed  their "deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies." Meanwhile, AFC stated that questions remained regarding "the central concerns surrounding governance, institutional process and meaningful consultation."

According to The Athletic , emergency meetings for both UEFA and CONCACAF resulted in open expressions of doubt about Infantino's ability to continue in charge.

A report by Rob Harris of Sky Sports on August 1, meanwhile, indicated that "moves to force Gianni Infantino out of the FIFA presidency are officially under way and accelerating." The report states that there is now "a determined effort at the top of European football in particular to ensure Infantino does not survive at FIFA." It remains to be seen what UEFA's plan is, but it's likely to move quickly, as they will want the current anger to fuel their push, rather than wait until the upcoming presidential election when tensions will likely have cooled.

When is the next FIFA presidential election?

As it currently stands, the next FIFA presidential election is scheduled to take place on  March 17, 2027 .

Gianni Infantino was planning to run for his fourth presidential term, which by FIFA statutes would be his final term as president.

FIFA presidents are limited to three full four-year terms. Infantino was first elected president in 2016 following the dismissal of Sepp Blatter, given an initial three-year term, which did not count towards the term limit due to the special nature of the election.

Infantino was re-elected unopposed in both 2019 and 2023. Because those are technically his first and second full terms as FIFA president, he therefore would be eligible to run for one more four-year term. If elected, he would be in charge until 2031 until he would be forced to step down.

Who could challenge or replace Gianni Infantino?

There is no guarantee that Gianni Infantino is forced to step down. A vote of no confidence is a strong move for member nations to take, a precedent that many could potentially be afraid to set.

If Infantino survives that, there's also no guarantee that he is voted out in the March 2027 election. The current president has always held strong support from the African confederation, who hold 54 member nations, a strong voting bloc. If he can figure out how to fracture the remaining confederations, or the rest of the voting community is unable to unite behind one candidate, then Infantino could survive to serve another four-year term.

Here are the candidates that could stand to challenge Infantino's position, who will make their pleas to the rest of the football world in the hopes of forming a united front against Infantino's station.

Victor Montagliani

The main frontrunner to challenge Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency, either upon Infantino's potential dismissal or in March at the upcoming FIFA presidential election, is current CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani.

The 60-year-old Canadian has risen through the ranks as a football executive, first serving as president of the British Columbia Soccer Ass...

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →