How do things stand?
Following this week’s executive committee meeting, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) eventually released a statement applauding Fifa for the “progress achieved over the last decade”. All six continental bodies have now responded to the controversy surrounding the World Cup commercial deal, which has deeply divided international football. On the central question of whether Gianni Infantino should continue as Fifa president, support among the confederations appears evenly split.
However, national associations are not obliged to adopt the position of their regional organisations. New Zealand Football (NZF) quickly demonstrated this by distancing itself from the OFC’s stance, withdrawing its backing for Infantino and requesting an independent investigation into the commercial agreement.
As the OFC’s largest member, NZF has previously benefited from Infantino’s support, including when New Zealand co-hosted the 2023 Women’s World Cup with Australia. Its change of position shows that even former allies are moving away from the increasingly embattled president during an extraordinary period for the international game.
Who is backing Infantino?
Although the OFC did not offer an unequivocal endorsement of Infantino’s re-election campaign, other regional organisations have expressed much stronger support. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) and South America’s Conmebol have openly stated that they want him to serve a third complete term.
The 56-year-old has also secured public backing from several individual Fifa member associations, including some belonging to confederations whose leaders oppose him. Notable examples include Mexico within Concacaf, as well as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the Asian Football Confederation.
Saudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 World Cup, has not yet announced its position because its football federation currently has no president and is holding elections this month. Its eventual decision may strongly influence how many Asian associations follow the AFC leadership.
Who is against him?
Uefa has emerged as the strongest and most outspoken opponent, even warning that its members could boycott Fifa competitions unless Infantino abandons his campaign. Most of Uefa’s 55 associations appear to support this position. The situation in Asia is more uncertain, as it remains unknown how many of the region’s 47 members agree with the AFC leadership.
Concacaf’s 41 associations appear to be more closely aligned, although Grenada’s football governing body joined Mexico on Friday in publicly supporting Infantino.
Mexico’s circumstances are unusual because it has already indicated an interest in leaving Concacaf for Conmebol, where it could secure more profitable fixtures against teams such as Brazil and Argentina. Senior Uefa officials also believe that some African associations could be persuaded to break ranks and support the opposition movement.
What comes next?
After three weeks of intense manoeuvring, the dispute within international football has developed into a deadlock. A decisive outcome is unlikely before the presidential vote at the Fifa congress in Rabat next March.
Infantino retains powerful supporters in Africa and South America, along with the public endorsement of US president Donald Trump. He is therefore highly unlikely to resign or abandon his re-election bid, setting the stage for a contentious seven-month campaign.
The first major test will be next month’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. European associations have warned that they may boycott the tournament, although it remains uncertain whether any team will formally withdraw. Despite the ongoing confrontation, Uefa and Fifa are expected to seek a temporary public compromise that allows the competition to proceed.
The following important date is 18 November, the deadline for presidential candidates to confirm their participation. That gives the Uefa-backed coalition slightly more than three months to identify an alternative candidate and unite behind them.
Concacaf president Victor Montagliani is widely regarded as the strongest potential challenger, but he is expected to enter the contest only if he believes victory is achievable.
With 211 Fifa associations eligible to vote, the opposition cannot yet be confident of securing the 106 votes needed to remove Infantino from office.
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
