Uefa and its allies are close to identifying a candidate to run against Gianni Infantino in the Fifa election and could approve the challenger’s identity as early as next week.
The clock is ticking on efforts to oppose Infantino in March, with candidates required to confirm they are standing by 18 November, but there is growing confidence those attempts are nearing a successful resolution. Discussions with potential nominees have gained momentum despite recent setbacks that included a U-turn by the Asian Football Confederation president, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa, who surprisingly endorsed Infantino’s push for a fourth term.
Should an opponent’s identity be confirmed, it will be presented to Uefa’s executive committee and in an online meeting of the confederation’s FA heads. There remains an appetite to leave any announcement until as close to the deadline as possible, largely to head off the possibility of a “dirty tricks” campaign by Fifa against the proposed candidate, but some sources believe the relevant meetings may be called in the next seven days.
Although Arsène Wenger has been among the high-profile names mooted, and is highly favoured as a potential unity candidate in some European football circles, the former Arsenal manager is not believed to have seriously entered the reckoning. Wenger, Fifa’s chief of global football development, could be found at the Fifa Under-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan this week extolling the virtues of his employer’s new tournament.
Anyone confirming their desire to stand will have to tackle severe doubts about the prospects of defeating Infantino, who has embarked on an international effort to recover his position in recent weeks after being heavily damaged by the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scandal. They would need to add a substantial number of votes from Asia, Concacaf and Africa to the European bloc, which itself may not be taken for granted in a secret ballot, to reach the 106 required.
There has been growing cynicism in some corners about the prospects of unseating Infantino in an election, one argument being that a more effective strategy would be a mass boycott or abstention from the vote in Rabat. A view exists that this would isolate Infantino, who has never hidden the fact that his organisation is dependent on Europe for vast amounts of its revenue. Now he finds it in a form of administrative paralysis. The 2029 men’s Club World Cup, currently without a host, is among the events stuck in a deep freeze with little progress being made on its shape or location.
But there remains a determination to face down Infantino in March, with some close to the process pointing out that events may have turned further against the Fifa president by then. Infantino faces the spectre of Uefa’s application to four courts in the United States for the release of documents pertaining to the failed FFE scheme , with a view to lodging a criminal complaint in Switzerland alleging financial mismanagement. Fifa has accused Uefa of “harassment” and “misinformation” and denied wrongdoing by Infantino.
A preliminary ruling is expected in the coming weeks, although the prospect of Fifa appealing against any decision that goes against it means the process may be extended. Should Uefa make significant progress with the case, any election or candidature process may come to feel inconsequential.
Fifa has until Monday, a deadline set by Uefa, to respond to 42 questions regarding its governance and decision making. Those include issues surrounding FFE, the Fifa peace prize and the suspension of Folarin Balogun’s ban at the World Cup. The Guardian understands Uefa is yet to receive any response. Infantino said last week that Fifa would “answer all the questions posed, to the extent that the process allows and to the best of our ability”.
The US midterms, which will be held on Tuesday, may provide further hope for Infantino’s opponents. In July Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, launched an investigation into links between Infantino, Fifa and the Trump administration. He asked Infantino to provide relevant documents and sit for a transcribed interview, although that is yet to take place. Should the Democrats flip the House, currently controlled by the Republicans, his quest may receive fresh impetus.
Regardless, the period before 18 November feels critical for Uefa and its president, Aleksander Ceferin. The Slovenian has driven a hardline approach against Fifa’s leadership, which he restated in his “Emperor’s New Clothes” polemic against Infantino at the general assembly of European Football Clubs in Copenhagen last month. Fielding a viable candidate would go a long way towards underlining its credibility.
A repeat of Uefa’s climbdown on the eve of the Under-20 Women’s World Cup, when it withdrew its threat to boycott the competition, would prove damaging. The extensive autumn charm offensive launched by Infantino has included visits to Latvia, Czechia and Azerbaijan.
