FIFA president Gianni Infantino under enormous pressure: these are his possible successors | Goal.com

Veröffentlicht am 01 Aug 2026 | Lesezeit: 2 Minuten

Gianni Infantino's position as FIFA president is under heavy pressure after his plan to give private investors a stake in the biggest FIFA tournaments failed completely. Reuters reports, among others, that CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is likely to stand as a candidate, while AFC president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa is also being mentioned.

Infantino long looked untouchable as FIFA president, despite fierce criticism over his close ties to US President Donald Trump. Since the announcement of his controversial plans, that has changed completely. UEFA and CONCACAF, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, quickly came out strongly against him.

UEFA announced a FIFA boycott, while criticism also came hard from the Netherlands. "This proposal is not right in terms of process, governance and content," KNVB chairman Frank Paauw told the NOS. "The proposal must be taken off the table. As long as the proposal is not taken off the table, all 55 UEFA countries will not take part in FIFA competitions."

Now the Asian Football Confederation AFC has also spoken out strongly against Infantino, and even inside FIFA the Swiss official has faced enormous criticism. Infantino's top adviser Carlos Cordeiro and FIFA operations director Kevin Lamour both resigned.

"A chairman must bring people together, unite them and inspire them," Lamour said, among other things. "Today we are seeing the opposite happen. It is not a FIFA project, it is certainly not a project of the FIFA board. It is a project of one person," obviously referring to Infantino.

The Times calculated that a motion of no confidence against Infantino needs the backing of 'just' 43 countries. With all UEFA countries, for example, unanimously opposed to Infantino's plan, such a motion no longer looks far off, or at least appears realistic.

Should it come to that, Infantino would not be removed immediately, but his position would become practically untenable. In the meantime, Montagliani in particular is emerging as a possible successor. The Canadian (60) has never hidden his ambition to one day become FIFA president and now appears ready to make his move.

Since May 2016, Montagliani has been CONCACAF president and he has until 18 November to officially stand as a candidate. That is the registration deadline for FIFA's presidential election for the 2027-2031 cycle. The winner will be announced on 18 March next year in Rabat.

Alongside Montagliani, Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa is also being mentioned as a possible successor to Infantino. The official from Bahrain (60) has been AFC president since 2013. "The future of international football must always be shaped through thorough consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our sport," he said, among other things, about Infantino's failed plans.

Nasser Al-Khelaïfi had previously also been suggested. However, the president of Paris Saint-Germain, member of UEFA's executive committee, chairman of BeIN Media Group and chairman of European Football Clubs (EFC) is not keen to give up his current duties for the FIFA presidency.

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