Montagliani, Al Khalifa emerge as potential successors to embattled Infantino

Gianni Infantino's grip on the Fifa presidency has weakened considerably after withdrawing controversial proposals to monetize Fifa competitions through private investment stakes. Support for his re-election bid has fractured, with national associations from England and Wales among those rescinding letters of endorsement. Infantino requires 106 votes from Fifa's 211 member federations to secure a fourth and final term at the organization's Congress scheduled for March in Morocco. The situation has grown dire enough that speculation now centers on potential successors, with candidates having until November 18 to formally declare their intentions. Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf, stands as a leading contender. The Canadian football administrator was elected to his confederation role in 2016 on a governance reform platform similar to Infantino's original message. Montagliani played a central role in organizing the 2026 World Cup, the first tournament to be hosted across three nations, and demonstrated organizational capability managing Concacaf's expanded Copa America in 2024. Multilingual in French, Italian, Spanish, and English, Montagliani has built a political profile by managing delicate situations within world football, including navigating former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's failed push for biennial World Cups. He has positioned himself as a stabilizing force, recently stating at the 2025 Leaders Conference that football transcends individual leaders and possesses the resilience to weather any crisis. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who leads the Asian Football Confederation, represents another serious possibility. The Bahraini official was initially elected in 2013 and returned unopposed for a fourth term extending through 2027, indicating substantial support within his 46-member confederation. Under his stewardship, the AFC has expanded significantly through new club competitions including the Champions League Elite, Champions League Two, and the Women's Champions League launched this season. The Asian Cup was expanded to 24 teams, demonstrating Al Khalifa's commitment to growing continental football. His confederation membership is acutely aware of the financial stakes involved in Infantino's failed proposals, making Al Khalifa's opposition to the current administration politically valuable. Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who chairs Paris St-Germain and leads the European Clubs' Association, would theoretically possess the credentials for a challenge. The Qatari executive successfully navigated the European Super League crisis in 2021, taking charge of the clubs' body in its aftermath and orchestrating a rebranding to European Football Clubs while expanding membership to over 800 institutions. However, sources close to Al-Khelaifi have indicated he harbors no interest in pursuing the Fifa presidency, removing what could have been a formidable obstacle to Infantino's rivals. Mattias Grafstrom, Fifa's secretary general since May 2024, represents an alternative from within the organization itself. The Swedish executive became Infantino's chief of staff following the latter's 2016 election and has steadily increased his influence within Fifa's governance structures. However, Grafstrom faces significant headwinds: his European nationality potentially conflicts with an emerging consensus that Fifa's next leader should come from outside Europe, and his close association with Infantino's administration could become a liability in a post-Infantino era focused on governance reform and distance from the outgoing president's controversial policies.