Six countries are backing Gianni Infantino to be re-elected as FIFA president

With support for the under-fire Gianni Infantino dwindling by the hour, a small group of nations are reportedly backing him to be re-elected as FIFA president - including Qatar and Sri Lanka.

Infantino's leadership has come under increasing scrutiny in recent days after his plan to sell minority stakes in major tournaments - including the World Cup - to private investors collapsed following significant backlash

UEFA say they, along with “other members of the football family”, have lost confidence in Infantino, who has been FIFA president since 2016, while the English FA have backed UEFA's position.

"It is time for a full and robust review of FIFA’s leadership and governance to ensure that the global game is run transparently, for the benefit of all 211 member nations and with the long term stewardship of football at its heart," said the FA.

A host of nations have withdrawn their support for the 56-year-old, including Wales, Serbia, Sweden, Finland and England, yet six countries are backing Infantino to be re-elected as FIFA president.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are said to be two of the major confederations that are backing Infantino, according to Adam Crafton of The Athletic, alongside Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon and Kuwait.

A number of African and Asian federations have come out in support of Infantino, who will find out if he is re-elected as FIFA president in March next year. These include Morocco and Egypt.

How is the FIFA president elected

All 211 member associations will cast a vote in a secret ballot before a FIFA president is elected.

FIFA's statutes say a majority of over 50 per cent is required to win the election when there are two candidates standing, meaning 106 votes from the 211 associations are needed to secure victory.

Last month, it was reported that more than 200 member associations formally endorsed Infantino's bid for a fourth term. Before the World Cup sell-off plan, he was predicted to win by a landslide.

However, his future is far more uncertain following recent developments.

How Gianni Infantino can be removed as FIFA president

According to FIFA statutes, 20 per cent of FIFA members (43 countries) can convene an emergency FIFA congress. They can then request that a vote be held to dismiss the president.

Executive dismissal is another possibility. FIFA's ethics committee can investigate if a president has breached the ethics code based on formal complaints from members or officials.

READ MORE: UEFA come up with new plan to oust Gianni Infantino

They can issue sanctions, such as long-term bans from football activities, but since there are no obvious ethics breaches at play, this is unlikely.

Of course, Infantino can be sacked via electoral defeat. He is up for re-election next March, meaning he can be removed if the congress votes for a different candidate.

CONCACAF’s president Victor Montagliani is reportedly keen to run for the presidency. Paris Saint-Germain’s Nasser Al-Khelaifi has also been named a possible candidate alongside Mattias Grafstrom, the General Secretary of FIFA.