Two Arabs among them: five candidates to succeed Infantino at the helm of FIFA | Goal.com

Published on 02 Aug 2026 | Reading time: 3 minutes

Switzerland's Gianni Infantino, president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), faces an unprecedented crisis that could threaten his ambitions to remain at the head of the most powerful footballing body in the world. His collapse triggered it: ambitious investment plans that aimed to inject billions of dollars into the federation's competitions, including the World Cup, have fallen apart.

Infantino still intends to run for a fourth four-year term at the FIFA general assembly in Morocco next March, and he had enjoyed the overwhelming support of the federation's 211 members. But the picture has begun to change dramatically.

Cracks in the wall of support

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has openly declared its loss of confidence in Infantino. The Asian Football Confederation and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) have aimed scathing criticism at his leadership style. Voices calling for his immediate resignation have grown louder.

Infantino has held the FIFA presidency since 2016, and won re-election unopposed in 2019 and 2023 without any notable competition. But the sharp criticism keeps escalating, and serious rivals may now emerge against him, especially as the final deadline for submitting nomination applications is 18 November.

According to the German Press Agency, five names are in contention to challenge Infantino.

Aleksander Ceferin

The president of the Union of European Football Associations (58) is known for his combative personality. A former karate player, the Slovenian lawyer presents himself as the complete opposite of Infantino, although he strongly defended the commercial direction within UEFA.

With the end of his term as UEFA president approaching, and having announced he would not run again in 2027, Ceferin has led a European protest against his rival at FIFA, declaring at the start of 2024: "After a certain period, every organisation needs new blood."

But the question is: does this principle also apply to him personally?

Nasser Al-Khelaifi

Qatar's Nasser Al-Khelaifi (52), president of the European Club Association, did not hide his openness to the idea of holding the World Cup every two years, which Infantino proposed in 2021, confirming his readiness to discuss it.

Al-Khelaifi has presided over French club Paris Saint-Germain since 2011 and sits on the board of the sports and entertainment network beIN Sports. He holds a place on UEFA's executive committee and is a close ally of Ceferin. He denies any desire to take over the FIFA presidency, yet his broad influence makes him a potential candidate should circumstances change.

Mattias Grafstrom

Born to a Swedish father and a Dutch mother, he was Switzerland's junior table tennis champion.

Mattias Grafstrom (45) built his professional career as a football administrator, and was officially appointed FIFA secretary general in 2024, succeeding Senegal's Fatma Samoura.

Despite his extreme closeness to Infantino, media reports suggest he sees an opportunity now available to take on the highest position in the world of the beautiful game, especially with the escalation of criticism directed at his current boss.

Victor Montagliani

He hosted the 2026 World Cup on his home soil in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Victor Montagliani (60) was born in the Canadian city of Vancouver, and took over the presidency of the Canadian Soccer Association in 2012.

After the arrest of the then CONCACAF president, Jeffrey Webb, in a corruption scandal that shook FIFA in 2015, the opportunity arose for Montagliani, who counts coaching legend Carlo Ancelotti among those close to him, to become president of the continental confederation from 2016.

Most importantly, CONCACAF under Montagliani's leadership announced its rejection, by unanimous vote of its members, of Infantino's investment plans, which places him in a position of open opposition.

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (60) previously fought an electoral battle against Infantino in 2016, losing by a small margin in the FIFA presidential elections, despite facing accusations of corruption and human rights violations.

The Bahraini official presides over the Asian Football Confederation, which for its part rejected Infantino's investment plans and stressed the necessity of collective dialogue and respect for the existing leadership, which makes him a potential candidate to return to the contest once again.

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