Gianni Infantino appeared untouchable just weeks ago, standing alongside Donald Trump to hand the World Cup trophy to Spain on 19 July.
Less than two weeks on from that glittering occasion, the Fifa president finds himself in an increasingly isolated and precarious position.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has condemned him, while fans across the globe have turned their frustration squarely in his direction amid growing unrest.
More damaging still is the threatened boycott of Fifa competitions by Uefa, reinforced by both Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation in a remarkable show of united opposition.
“This issue extends far beyond a single proposal,” said the AFC. “Rather, it has exposed fundamental weaknesses in Fifa’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed.”
Sources indicate that the vast majority of Concacaf members are either losing faith in Infantino’s ability to govern the game, or have already lost it entirely.
Carlos Cordeiro, special advisor to Infantino and appointed by Trump as senior advisor to the White House Task Force on the 2026 World Cup, has also resigned, deepening the crisis around the embattled president.
Fifa’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour stated to Associated Press that Fifa’s own administration was “deceived” about the project, a remarkable admission from within the organisation itself.
Former Football Association chairman David Bernstein offered a measured view of whether Infantino can survive, telling BBC Sport: “In a normal organisation, if he has to back down due to something of this magnitude he’d probably be shown the door.”
Bernstein was quick to add, however, that “Fifa is not a normal organisation,” and that Infantino will continue if he retains sufficient support from national associations around the world.
Former Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce believes Infantino will “still have enough support” to be re-elected, though he acknowledged that “if things continue at the pace they are continuing, who knows?”
Boyce added: “If I was a betting man, which I’m not, I would still bet he will get his final four-year term,” suggesting Infantino is wounded but not yet finished as a political force.
Infantino has held the Fifa presidency since 2016 and has twice been re-elected unopposed, with a further uncontested term widely expected before this crisis erupted.
Fifa’s 77th Congress in Morocco next March will confirm the organisation’s next president, with candidates required to put their names forward by 18 November.
Should Infantino’s position become untenable, Concacaf president Victor Montagliani emerges as a credible candidate, having been elected in 2016 on a platform of governance reform and playing a central role in delivering the 2026 World Cup.
“The game is bigger than world current leaders,” Montagliani said at the Leaders conference in 2025. “Football will survive regimes. Does it cause a headache? Of course.”
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who signed off the devastating critique of Infantino’s leadership and carries a 46-member confederation behind him, would also represent a formidable challenge for the presidency.
PSG president and European Football Clubs chair Nasser Al-Khelaifi is considered a serious contender in theory, though a source close to the 52-year-old was unambiguous this week, stating: “He genuinely, genuinely, genuinely doesn’t want the job.”
Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, appointed in May 2024, has grown into an influential presence at the organisation’s table but may be viewed as too closely aligned with Infantino to represent the clean break many now demand.
