- Published
Life moves fast for Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
It was doing so earlier this month as he was zig-zagging across the United States in a private jet to make him virtually omnipresent as the World Cup reached its crescendo.
On 19 July he must have felt on top of the world as, together with US President Donald Trump, they handed the trophy over to Spain.
Less than two weeks later, Infantino is in a lonely place after scrapping controversial plans to sell off stakes in Fifa competitions to private investment.
Condemned by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, castigated by fans of the game he professes to want to protect. These can easily be deflected as hazards of the job.
Less so the threatened boycott of Fifa competitions by European governing body Uefa - an attack reinforced by Concacaf (North and Central America and the Caribbean) and the AFC (Asia).
All three organisations, in their own way, offered a withering assessment of how Fifa is being run under Infantino.
"This issue extends far beyond a single proposal," said the AFC. "Rather, it has exposed fundamental weaknesses in Fifa's consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed."
Sources say, in addition to rejecting Infantino's plan, the vast majority of the Concacaf members are either losing faith in the Fifa president's ability to govern the game, or have lost it altogether.
On top of that, Carlos Cordeiro, special advisor to Infantino and appointed by Trump as senior advisor to the White House Task Force on the 2026 World Cup, has resigned.
Fifa's chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said in a statement to Associated Press that Fifa's own administration was "deceived" about the project.
BBC Sport has approached Fifa for comment.
It feels as though the walls are closing in on Infantino.
But if this is the beginning of the end of his tenure, who takes over?
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Might Infantino really go?
Firstly, it is wise to be realistic.
Speaking to BBC Sport earlier this week, former Football Association chairman David Bernstein said of Infantino: "In a normal organisation, if he has to back down due to something of this magnitude he'd probably be shown the door.
"But Fifa is not a normal organisation. If he has the support of enough of the national associations, he will continue."
Former Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce said he thinks Infantino will "still have enough support" to be re-elected but "if things continue at the pace they are continuing, who knows?"
He added: "If I was a betting man, which I'm not, I would still bet he will get his final four-year term."
Infantino has been Fifa president since 2016. Before that he was secretary general of Uefa for seven years. Few know the map of football politics better than him.
Now 56, Infantino became president by beating Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa by 115 votes to 88. His task was to clean up an organisation tainted by corruption allegations following the resignation of predecessor Sepp Blatter. Blatter was cleared of corruption charges last year.
"I will work tirelessly to bring football back to Fifa and Fifa back to football," said Infantino at the time.
Infantino has twice been re-elected unopposed, and it was expected the same thing would happen again next March. This is not unusual. Blatter was unopposed in 2007 and 2011.
Brazilian Joao Havelange was the last person to unseat a Fifa president in an election, ousting Sir Stanley Rous in 1974. No-one opposed Havelange for five straight terms until he finally resigned in 1998, aged 82.
Letters of support backing Infantino's re-election have been submitted. Will they be withdrawn? BBC Sport knows of at least one Uefa member who has withdrawn their letter as the drama of this week has unfolded.
Who might replace him?
Victor Montagliani (Concacaf president)
Like Infantino, he was elected in 2016 promising governance reform. A former president of Canada Soccer, as co-chair, Montagliani was heavily involved in the build up to, and delivery of the 2026 World Cup, the first to be hosted by three nations. He is fluent in French, Italian and Spanish, as well as English.
Explaining his decision to run for the Concacaf presidency, Montagliani told the BC Business website: "Like anything, when I decide to go, I go. I campaigned on my own dime for three months, went to see all 41 countries, from the US to Bonaire, a little island off Venezuela."
Montagliani took the lead when Concacaf hosted an expanded Copa America in 2024 - in an interview with BBC Sport he rejected the idea it could become a regular occurrence. Politically strong, he smoothed relations around Arsene Wenger's attempt to gain support for a World Cup every two years and has never truly bought into the idea of a 64-team World Cup.
At the Leaders conference in 2025, he outlined why he felt football was strong enough to ride out any storm.
"The game is bigger than world current leaders," he said. "Football will survive regimes. Does it cause a headache? Of course. You have to be realistic about that. That is the beauty of our game, it is bigger than any individual and country."
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (AFC president)
Initially elected in 2013, he was elected unopposed for a fourth term to run to 2027.
The Bahraini has presided over significant growth within the Asian confederation, through the Champions League Elite, Champions League Two, the Challenge League and the Women's Champions League, which was launched in 2024-25. The Asian Cup has been expanded to 24 teams.
Sheikh Salman signed off the brutal takedown of how Fifa is being run by Infantino and has carried with him a 46-member confederation, many of whom are aware the figures being offered by Infantino's plan are huge in terms of their overall football expenditure.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi (PSG president and chair of European Football Clubs - EFC)
Previously known as the European Clubs' Association, Al-Khelaifi took over as chairman in the aftermath of the other seismic event that threatened to pull the game apart - the ill-fated European Super League, which collapsed within 48 hours in 2021.
Al-Khelaifi presided over a name change - to European Football Clubs. More importantly, he expanded it to more than 800 members. Of the biggest clubs, only Real Madrid remain outside.
In theory, the Qatari would be a serious challenger to Infantino. But it seems he doesn't want the role. "He genuinely, genuinely, genuinely doesn't want the job," was the response of a source close to the 52-year-old when asked about the possibility on Thursday.
Mattias Grafstrom (Fifa secretary general)
Appointed in May 2024 and an increasingly influential voice around the Fifa table.
Multi-lingual, Grafstrom become Infantino's chief of staff following his election as president in 2016.
Another very visual presence at the World Cup, he could be seen as being too close to Infantino - and the general feeling Fifa's next president needs to be a non-European might also count against him.
Fifa's next president will be confirmed at the organisation's 77th Congress in Morocco next March. Candidates have until 18 November to put their names forward.
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Facts Only
* Gianni Infantino traveled to the United States recently.
* Infantino rejected plans to sell stakes in Fifa competitions to private investment.
* Andy Burnham condemned Infantino, and fans of the game castigated him.
* Uefa threatened a boycott of Fifa competitions, reinforced by Concacaf and AFC.
* The AFC stated that fundamental weaknesses in Fifa's consultation and decision-making processes were exposed.
* Most Concacaf members reportedly lost faith in Infantino’s ability to govern the game.
* Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino's special advisor appointed by Trump, resigned.
* Fifa's chief operating officer Kevin Lamour stated that Fifa's administration was "deceived" about the World Cup project.
* Former Football Association chairman David Bernstein suggested Infantino would likely be shown the door in a normal organization.
* Former Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce suggested Infantino might still secure his final four-year term.
* Victor Montagliani is the president of Concacaf and was involved in the 2026 World Cup build-up.
* Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa is the president of the AFC.
* Nasser Al-Khelaifi is the president of PSG and chair of European Football Clubs (EFC).
* The next FIFA president will be confirmed at the 77th Congress in Morocco in March.
Executive Summary
Gianni Infantino is facing significant pressure following controversial decisions regarding Fifa competition investment and his relationship with various governing bodies. Sources suggest widespread loss of faith in Infantino's ability to govern the organization, as evidenced by threats of boycotts from Uefa, Concacaf, and AFC, alongside a resignation from his close advisor. Questions remain about whether these challenges will lead to a change in leadership, with some observers suggesting instability in his tenure given past precedents regarding FIFA elections.
The potential successors identified include Victor Montagliani of Concacaf, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of the AFC, and Nasser Al-Khelaifi. These figures have backgrounds related to governance reform or significant developmental roles within their respective confederations, positioning them as potential alternatives should Infantino step down. Further confirmation awaits the upcoming FIFA Congress in Morocco next March.
Full Take
The narrative surrounding Infantino's potential transition reveals a tension between administrative mandate and institutional legitimacy. The core dynamic is not merely about policy disagreements but about systemic trust—the erosion of faith stemming from perceived failures in governance, consultation, and decision-making processes within Fifa. This pattern suggests that external pressure, amplified by disparate governing bodies (UEFA, AFC, Concacaf), successfully shifts the focus from specific proposals to fundamental structural weaknesses within the organization.
The emergence of potential successors highlights a recurring theme: authority within complex, transnational organizations often relies less on transactional power and more on recognized institutional alignment or successful championing of reform. Montagliani’s background in organizing continental growth and Wenger-related political navigation contrasts with the demands for financial transparency that have driven dissent against Infantino's actions. Al-Khelaifi represents a competing locus of influence from major club stakeholders, suggesting that legitimacy in this sphere might reside with commercial power rather than purely administrative mandate.
The uncertainty regarding succession is not just about personnel replacement; it reflects a broader pattern where accountability—the ability to successfully navigate external scrutiny without systemic collapse—is the ultimate determinant of leadership longevity. The system appears poised for realignment based on who can most effectively synthesize disparate, often conflicting, interests into a cohesive governing structure moving forward.
Bridge Questions: If the primary source of instability is the lack of faith in FIFA's consultative mechanisms, what specific, measurable governance reforms, rather than just personnel changes, would restore that legitimacy? How do the differing strategic priorities of potential successors—concacaf expansion, AFC growth, and EFC influence—interact to define a viable path forward for Fifa? What historical precedent exists for organizations navigating such fragmentation successfully while maintaining internal coherence?
Sentinel — Human
The text reads like a feature article synthesizing ongoing news and expert speculation regarding the leadership transition within FIFA, exhibiting strong human journalistic narrative structure.