When Gianni Infantino could leave FIFA as pressure grows after failed World Cup plan

Gianni Infantino is looking increasingly likely to be replaced as FIFA president after he apologised for his failed plan to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup.

Calls have been made for the Swiss to step down from his role after UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC all opposed his controversial plan, but the 56-year-old looks unlikely to call time on his own tenure after a crisis meeting in Morocco - so how long will we have to wait for him to be replaced?

Infantino currently looks likely to hold his post until a minimum of March 18, when an election takes place in the Moroccan city of Rabat, which will become the second consecutive presidential vote to be held in Africa.

Last time out in Rwanda, Infantino used his strong political ties on the continent and retained his title unopposed, to ensure he became the head of football’s leading organisation.

However, this four-year cycle hasn’t gone as smoothly as he would have hoped after "disgraceful" ticket prices dominated the headlines of a successful FIFA World Cup and now, plans to sell stakes in the tournament left 55 UEFA nations threatening to boycott the competition.

Who is in the running to take over?

Victor Montagliani

That has meant that Infantino’s campaign no longer looks as simple as it did in 2023, with president of the CONCACAF federation, Victor Montagliani, one of those tipped to take over.

The current Vice President has not spoken publicly about the plans that Infantino admitted were a "mistake" this week, although his bid appears to be strongly backed by UEFA who described the backtrack as a “victory for the whole game.”

The Canadian became CONCACAF President in 2016 following a successful bid for the 2026 World Cup and he also played a large part in Canada’s hosting of the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

He acquired that job after a deep rooted corruption scandal in CONCACAF removed two presidents in six months, which led him to chair a committee that stabilised the operation and later saw him appointed as president.

However, his journey in elite football started in 2012 when he was appointed as the head of Canada soccer, where he had overseen a dramatic increase in revenue since becoming a board member in 2002.

He was also appointed as Infantino’s Vice President just three months after the top man was elected in February 2016, before officially having September 12 labelled as ‘Victor Montagliani day’ in Vancouver.

Despite that, his time has not come without controversy as he faced backlash within CONCACAF for using his FIFA relationships to agree a deal with Newcastle owners PIF, that allowed Saudi Arabia to compete in the 2025 Gold Cup.

He cited financial reasons for that decision but he was also called into question in the lead up to the 2015 Women’s World Cup when Alex Morgan, Veronica Boquete and Marta led 80 players to sue FIFA in a discrimination charge over the use of Astro Turf pitches, but they were eventually dropped.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi

On top of Montagliani it has also been suggested that Paris Saint-Germain president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, is also backed by UEFA after the Qatari has spent the last 15 years in his current role that has seen the French club lift 40 trophies.

Before the 52-year-old took on his current job the side were languishing around Ligue 1 mid-table having just finished 13th place and had only won 20 trophies up until that point, one of which came in that season as they defeated AS Monaco in the Coupe De France final.

However, before becoming president of France’s premier club Al-Khelaifi pursued a tennis career as he represented Qatar in the Davis Cup while competing on the ATP Tour.

He later moved into Business and Sport management when he became Chairman of Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) and later president of PSG once they bought the club, but a spokesperson suggested that the Qatari holds "absolutely no ambition, no intention and no interest" in taking on the top job at FIFA.

Mattias Grafstrom

FIFA’s secretary general, Mattias Grafstrom, is another name that has been put forward after he was cut out of the private equity planning, despite being one of the chief architects behind the expanded 32-team Club World Cup.

That came as a surprise to many as Grafstrom was seen as a close ally of Infantino’s, following his role as Infantino’s chief of staff which he obtained following the 2016 election.

However, he is often seen as a quiet character, as he said himself in the lead up to the 2024 Club World Cup, which may have been what allowed him to make the step up from a role he previously held within UEFA.

Although, he may be hindered in the election by both his close ties to Infantino as well as a general feeling that the next president needs to be a non-European.

How would a vote work?

Every FIFA member will gather in Rabat, Morrocco and is granted one vote each that is to be cast in a secret ballot regardless of their size or success within the game. Those members will come from the AFC (Asia), CAF (AFRICA), CONCACAF (North, Central America and the Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania) and UEFA (Europe).

The winning candidate must get 106 votes of the 211 available from FIFA associated members to gain a four-year stint as FIFA president.

From there, they can run again but must stay in line with the organisation's re-election rules which Infantino recently changed to allow him the chance at a record fourth stint.

He is currently the only person to put their name forward for the role, but that is widely expected to change ahead of FIFA’s nomination deadline, the date of which is yet to be confirmed.

Ultimately, we can expect a change of FIFA leadership on March 12, but it is unlikely that any movement will happen before then with Infantino still confident of remaining in charge, although 60-year old Victor Montagliani looks like the most likely man to take on the role.