Concacaf member associations are reportedly weighing whether to retract earlier endorsements of Gianni Infantino’s bid to remain FIFA president, adding further uncertainty before next March’s election.
Multiple outlets report that the 41 national associations in North and Central America and the Caribbean had submitted support letters before the World Cup. Following the collapse of FIFA’s proposed private-investment plan involving World Cup commercial rights, however, several are now said to be reassessing that position.
The shift would be significant because it would turn a regional dispute over a specific commercial proposal into a wider challenge to Infantino’s leadership and the way FIFA has been governed.
Concacaf’s reported alignment with Europe
Reports on Wednesday indicated that Concacaf held an emergency meeting last Friday, at which members were broadly sympathetic to UEFA’s stance. European associations have been among the most vocal critics of Infantino in recent days, with Finland publicly withdrawing its support and Wales also reported to have withheld backing.
Several Concacaf countries are understood to have indicated at the meeting that they could follow suit. It remains unclear how many associations have formally sent replacement letters to FIFA, or whether a collective Concacaf position will emerge.
That distinction matters. FIFA presidential elections are decided by its 211 member associations, each of which has one vote. A confederation acting in broad agreement carries political weight, but individual national votes, rather than a regional bloc vote, determine the eventual outcome.
Concacaf’s potential move is therefore not simply symbolic. If national associations that previously supported the incumbent now become publicly opposed, it could make the scale of dissatisfaction clearer and encourage others to state their own positions.
World Cup hosting politics complicate the picture
A possible restraint on open opposition is the next major FIFA hosting decision. The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica are involved in a joint bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, which is due to be considered at an extraordinary FIFA Congress in November.
There are reportedly no rival bids at present, but approval still requires a FIFA vote. That leaves prospective hosts needing to balance concern about the president’s leadership with the political importance of a tournament bid.
The United States Soccer Federation is reported to be unhappy with Infantino, including over controversy surrounding his relationship with Donald Trump and the Folarin Balogun matter. Yet the same reporting suggests that the federation may be cautious about escalating a confrontation while the 2031 decision remains unresolved.
This is a broader feature of the developing election picture. National associations can object to FIFA policy while also depending on FIFA decisions, funding programmes or tournament opportunities. Those overlapping interests may explain why private frustration has not always become public opposition.
Montagliani remains a key figure
Victor Montagliani, Concacaf’s Canadian president, has been discussed as a possible challenger to Infantino. He has called for a detailed examination of FIFA governance, but has not announced a presidential candidacy.
His immediate priority, according to recent reporting, is his own re-election as Concacaf president next year. Without a declared alternative, opposition to Infantino remains a movement with an identifiable grievance but no settled candidate.
That absence is central to the next stage of the dispute. Withdrawing support could increase pressure on Infantino, but an election contest requires a challenger able to assemble votes across regions with sharply different priorities. Concacaf unity would make Montagliani a more consequential figure in that process, whether or not he ultimately decides to run.
Support remains across Asia and Africa
Infantino’s position is not without meaningful backing. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have publicly supported him, while reports also identify Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco and Bhutan among associations expressing approval.
The number of confirmed supporters is disputed in the wider reporting. One account says 15 associations are thought to remain behind Infantino, although only seven had made their position public. What is clear is that the Asian Football Confederation has not moved as one body since it joined criticism of the now-abandoned investment plan.
That fragmentation is important. The AFC has 47 members, and its eventual direction could be decisive in any close vote. Saudi Arabia and many other Asian associations have not publicly declared a position, leaving considerable room for negotiations before March.
Supporters have pointed to increased FIFA development funding under Infantino and to his decision to abandon the commercial proposal after resistance emerged. Critics, by contrast, have focused on the process by which the proposal was developed and presented, arguing that it damaged trust among member associations.
Oceania yet to decide
Oceania has not formally settled on a stance. New Zealand Football chief Andrew Pragnell has said the failed proposal created serious concern about confidence in international football’s governance, while also acknowledging the financial benefits FIFA has brought to associations outside the traditional centres of the game.
His comments underline the tension facing smaller confederations: FIFA funding and broader access to resources can be valued at the same time as members question decision-making at the top of the organisation.
For now, Concacaf’s reported reconsideration of Infantino’s endorsement is a potentially important development rather than a definitive electoral break. The number of formal withdrawals, the position of hosting bidders and the emergence—or absence—of a challenger will determine whether the current pressure develops into a genuine contest for FIFA’s presidency.