FIFA World Cup crisis: Who could replace Infantino as president?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that FIFA’s decision to abandon a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions has eased one crisis for the organization, but it has sharpened scrutiny of president Gianni Infantino’s future. The backlash included the resignation of senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, claims from FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour that staff were deceived, and criticism from UEFA, which said it had lost confidence in Infantino. With FIFA presidential elections due in March, speculation has turned to possible challengers.

Among the names highlighted are Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi, CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani, AFC president and FIFA senior vice president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, and CAF president Patrice Motsepe. The article says al-Khelaifi, Montagliani and Ceferin are among the strongest possibilities because of their roles in global and regional football governance and their influence over member associations.

Al Jazeera places the debate in the context of a major dispute over FIFA’s now-withdrawn investment proposal. UEFA and CONCACAF rejected the plan, while the AFC called it unacceptable. The piece suggests the episode may have opened space for a direct challenge to Infantino, who was elected in 2016 and re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023. Any contest would need to meet FIFA’s candidacy deadline ahead of the March vote.