UEFA is close to selecting a candidate who could challenge Gianni Infantino in the upcoming FIFA presidential elections, scheduled for March. The European confederation and its allies have intensified discussions in recent weeks and expect to determine the identity of the candidate in the coming days. The process has been marked by disagreements with the current leadership of world football’s governing body and the intention to present an alternative before the nomination deadline.
The election calendar plays a fundamental role in this dispute, as those seeking the presidency must confirm their candidacies before November 18. Although no name has yet been publicly confirmed, the possibility of a decision being reached next week has gained momentum. Once selected, the candidate will need the support of UEFA’s executive committee and the presidents of the national federations that make up the confederation before launching a potential campaign to challenge Infantino.
UEFA steps up search for candidate to challenge Infantino
The European strategy involves keeping the candidate’s identity confidential until shortly before the deadline, mainly to prevent them from becoming the target of a smear campaign by FIFA. Among the names that have emerged during discussions is Arsène Wenger, the governing body’s current chief of global football development and former manager of Arsenal. However, although some consider him a figure capable of generating consensus within European football, there is no indication that he has been seriously involved in the selection process. In fact, he was in Azerbaijan this week for the FIFA U-15 World Cup, where he praised the characteristics of the new tournament organized by his current employer.
The main challenge for any candidate will be securing enough support to compete against a president who maintains considerable international influence. To reach the required 106 votes, the opposition would need to consolidate support from the European bloc and secure a significant number of endorsements from Asia, Africa and Concacaf. This does not appear to be an easy task, particularly after Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, changed his position and publicly backed Infantino’s bid for a fourth term. This move represented a setback for European plans and highlighted the difficulties of building a coalition capable of challenging FIFA’s leadership.
Tensions between UEFA and FIFA could influence the presidential elections
The search for an electoral rival is taking place amid an institutional conflict that has strained relations between the two organizations. UEFA has questioned FIFA’s governance and decision-making processes, particularly over controversies surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) program, which is under scrutiny over alleged financial irregularities. In this context, the European confederation has requested the disclosure of documents related to the program before four US courts, with the intention of assessing a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland over alleged mismanagement. FIFA, for its part, has rejected the accusations and described UEFA’s actions as a campaign of “harassment” and “misinformation.”
The disagreements also extend to other matters of sports management and organization. UEFA set a deadline for FIFA to answer 42 questions concerning its governance, the FFE program, the FIFA Peace Prize and the suspension of a ban imposed on US striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup. According to information published by The Guardian, the European governing body had still not received a response. Concerns have also emerged over the future of certain projects, such as the 2029 men’s Club World Cup, which still has no confirmed host and has seen little progress regarding its format. Meanwhile, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin maintains a critical stance toward Infantino’s administration and needs to present a competitive candidate to support his political strategy. The coming weeks will be crucial, both because of the November 18 election deadline and the potential legal developments that could reshape FIFA’s institutional landscape.
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