Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, is facing a critical test as he embarks on an intensive global tour just five months before the elections that will determine the future of the International Federation of Association Football until 2031. This tour comes at a time when Infantino is experiencing an unprecedented crisis since taking office in 2016, as his plan to sell part of the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments to private sector investors sparked angry reactions, placing his presidency under intense scrutiny.
The elections are scheduled for March 2027. According to media reports, the FIFA president is going through a busy period, with his private plane traveling around the world over the past two weeks. His tour included Saudi Arabia, New York, the Caribbean, Northern Europe, and Central and Southeast Asia, during which he met with at least 20 federations out of 211 federations that will vote in Morocco on March 18, 2027. These visits apparently aim to rally the necessary support to secure his reelection.
On the other hand, opposition against Infantino is escalating. According to press reports, 49 federations, mostly from Europe, announced by last Tuesday their rejection of his continuation in office. However, more than one-third of FIFA members have not yet announced their final position, which means the election scene could see significant shifts before the candidacy deadline on November 18, 2026. Strong federations like UEFA have pledged support along with the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF to present at least one candidate to compete against the current FIFA president, although the identity of this candidate has not yet been revealed.
The likely identity of the opposing candidate and the challenges faced by Infantino are expected to be a main topic of discussion at the upcoming meeting of the 55 European federations, which will be held in the German capital, Berlin, this week. These developments indicate that the electoral battle will be fierce and that the path will not be smooth for the current FIFA president, who is striving hard to keep his seat amid growing discontent and opposition coalitions seeking change.
