Gianni Infantino faces a more complicated re-election landscape after the collapse of a proposed World Cup commercial arrangement prompted unusually direct criticism from several football confederations.
Europe has taken the most forceful public stance, while North and Central America and the Caribbean have also signalled a sharp loss of confidence. Elsewhere, however, the picture is far less settled: Africa has declared support, Asia is divided, South America is keeping its options open and Oceania has yet to establish a collective position.
The immediate question is not simply how many associations disagree with the FIFA president. It is whether opposition across regions can become organised enough to produce a credible challenger before the presidential vote.
Europe sets the tone for opposition
According to multiple outlets, UEFA has become the central institutional opponent of Infantino following the abandoned proposal. The European body had warned that its members could withdraw from FIFA competitions if the plan went ahead, and subsequently said FIFA’s leadership no longer retained its confidence.
Individual associations have added to that pressure. Reports indicated that England and Wales were among those to retract earlier backing for Infantino, with UEFA seeking further withdrawals from national associations.
That represents a striking deterioration in a relationship that was once mutually beneficial. Infantino served as UEFA general secretary before becoming FIFA president in 2016, when the European confederation supported his campaign. But the two organisations have repeatedly differed over the direction of the international calendar, World Cup expansion and major commercial initiatives.
UEFA’s institutional weight makes its intervention important, but it does not automatically decide a FIFA election. Each member association has a vote, meaning a European-led challenge would still need support from other regions whose priorities may not align with UEFA’s.
Concacaf could turn criticism into influence
Concacaf has issued some of the strongest language outside Europe. Its response to the withdrawn proposal portrayed it as evidence of governance failures and called for a wider assessment of the current presidency, according to reports.
That stance matters both numerically and politically. Concacaf represents 41 member associations and is led by Victor Montagliani, a FIFA vice-president who has been mentioned by outlets as a possible alternative candidate should a broader anti-Infantino coalition emerge.
Montagliani has not formally declared a candidacy. Still, Concacaf’s collective position gives him a potentially significant platform if its members decide that criticism must be followed by an electoral challenge.
The confederation also has an especially prominent role in the game’s immediate future through the United States, Canada and Mexico’s hosting of the World Cup. That does not guarantee unity behind any one candidate, but it increases the importance of its eventual choice.
Asia may hold the decisive balance
The Asian Football Confederation is the most difficult bloc to read. It publicly objected to the proposed deal and called for reform, a notable departure from the warmer relationship it has generally enjoyed with Infantino. Yet reports suggest many Asian national associations remain reluctant to replace him.
That hesitation reflects the political balance within the confederation. FIFA’s expanded competitions, increased presence in Asia and greater financial support have been viewed positively by many members. Infantino has also cultivated the perception that FIFA listens more closely to non-European federations than it did in previous eras.
At the same time, AFC president Sheikh Salman has his own standing within the global game and could face a difficult task in preserving regional unity. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are described as influential supporters of Infantino, while Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Hussein has publicly raised serious concerns about the recent episode.
If UEFA and Concacaf can attract a substantial Asian shift, Infantino’s position would become far more vulnerable. If Asia remains fragmented or largely supportive, a European-led campaign could struggle to secure the breadth required.
Africa offers the clearest backing
The Confederation of African Football is, for now, the most clearly supportive major confederation. CAF president Patrice Motsepe has said all 54 member associations back Infantino’s re-election.
That declaration is a substantial counterweight to the dissent elsewhere. Africa’s voting strength and its interest in FIFA development funding make the confederation central to any calculation of the contest.
It also illustrates why public condemnation of the commercial proposal should not be treated as proof of an imminent leadership change. National associations may object to a particular decision while still favouring continuity at FIFA, especially where existing programmes and relationships are viewed as valuable.
South America and Oceania remain open questions
Conmebol has avoided direct confrontation. Its initial statement sought further detail and stressed footballing considerations, but it has not matched the criticism issued by UEFA, Concacaf or the AFC. Reporting from the region characterises its approach as pragmatic rather than an unconditional endorsement of Infantino.
Brazil and Argentina are particularly important within South America, and Conmebol may prefer to retain negotiating room while the wider balance of power becomes clearer. Its caution could prove valuable to either side if the election develops into a close contest.
Oceania is similarly unresolved. New Zealand moved quickly to oppose the proposal, but the Oceania Football Confederation itself did not adopt an equally firm line and support for Infantino is understood to remain among other members.
No official challenger has yet emerged. Other reporting has identified UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, Sheikh Salman and Montagliani among the figures being discussed, but none had formally entered the race. The next phase will depend on whether anger over the failed proposal produces a cross-confederation alliance, or whether regional interests prevent the opposition from uniting behind one candidate.