FIFA confirmed this week that president Gianni Infantino will stand for re-election in March, the first official confirmation since his controversial plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investment firms collapsed under widespread opposition.
Infantino has held the role since 2016. If re-elected, he would serve until 2031. The announcement came after weeks of silence from FIFA on the subject, following the political fallout from the private investment plan that drew a sharp reaction from across world football.
"The Fifa president announced in April that he will stand for re-election in 2027," read a FIFA statement. "Of course, nothing has changed. Mr Infantino will be standing for re-election."
According to BBC Sport, Infantino refused to answer questions about his future when reporters approached him at the Women's Under-20 World Cup in Poland on Saturday. The statement from FIFA came shortly after.
As recently as mid-July, Infantino had appeared untouchable. All but a handful of FIFA's 211 member associations had endorsed him, and no meaningful challenger had emerged. That picture changed sharply after his private investment plan became public following the summer's World Cup. The Football Associations of England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland are among those to have publicly withdrawn their support.
UEFA's response has been particularly aggressive. European football's governing body threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if the investment plan moved forward. Last week, UEFA filed legal papers in the United States requesting disclosure of evidence and documents from FIFA, and warned it could lodge a criminal complaint in Switzerland.
FIFA struck back this week, accusing UEFA of a "smear campaign against it and its leadership" in a challenge to that litigation. The two organizations, long the dominant forces in world football, are now engaged in an open legal and political conflict.
UEFA has shifted its strategy after considering a vote of no confidence against Infantino. That route would require three-quarters of FIFA members, or 159 votes, to pass through a change of FIFA statutes. That threshold is considered unrealistic, and UEFA has abandoned the idea.
Instead, UEFA is now focused on finding a candidate to run against Infantino. BBC Sport understands UEFA is confident a challenger can be found. That candidate would need the backing of at least 106 of the 211 FIFA member associations to stand. Nominations must be submitted by November 18.
No candidates have been formally named. However, Concacaf president Victor Montagliani is considered a serious option. Montagliani leads the governing body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, giving him a significant base of potential support.
The March election will be a test of how far opposition to Infantino has spread beyond Europe. FIFA's membership includes associations from across Africa, Asia, and South America, many of which had previously backed Infantino and may still do so despite the current dispute.
