⚽ SportsHotCovered by 3 outlets

Infantino faces clear path to FIFA reelection as Montagliani eyes Concacaf stay

Oct 9, 10:45 PM2 min read

Drafted by AI from the sources below, fact-checked by the Ajako Taja Editorial Team · How we use AI

AI Summary

Gianni Infantino's path to FIFA reelection is widening as potential rivals Victor Montagliani and Aleksander Ceferin choose to maintain their current continental leadership roles.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is expected to run unopposed for reelection after Victor Montagliani reportedly decided to seek another term as head of Concacaf rather than challenge for the top job.

Gianni Infantino appears set to retain his position as FIFA president with 40 days remaining until the November 18 nomination deadline. While UEFA had reportedly hoped to find a challenger for the 56-year-old leader, the BBC reports that senior figures in world football now believe Infantino will be unopposed at the FIFA Congress in Rabat on March 18. This comes after Infantino spent recent months traveling to Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and Cape Verde to consolidate international support.

Sources told ESPN and The Guardian that Concacaf President Victor Montagliani plans to stay in his current role. The 61-year-old Canadian businessman reportedly informed Concacaf staff and members that he intends to stand for reelection next year. Because the Concacaf vote will occur in the first quarter of next year, shortly before the FIFA election, Montagliani's decision effectively rules him out of a run against Infantino.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin also confirmed his intention to stand for reelection at a meeting of UEFA’s 55 member associations in Berlin on Thursday. According to The Guardian, this move ends speculation that Ceferin might challenge Infantino himself. Although Ceferin had previously suggested in early 2024 that he would not seek a fourth term, statute changes mean his first partial term does not count toward standard term limits.

Despite the lack of a formal challenger, a fundamental split remains in world football. The BBC reports that while Infantino has secure support from Africa, South America, and Oceania, he faces opposition from UEFA, Concacaf, and Asia. This creates a scenario where Infantino could be returned to office while only carrying the backing of approximately half of FIFA’s 211 member nations.

Background

The current election cycle follows controversy over the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal to sell World Cup commercial rights to a private equity firm. Victor Montagliani originally took over Concacaf ten years ago following a corruption scandal that led to the arrest of former president Jeffrey Webb.