European football leaders are increasingly confident that a candidate will emerge to stand against Gianni Infantino in the Fifa presidential election scheduled for March 2027. This sentiment was expressed by a European football association head to the Guardian, with senior figures at Uefa and other national associations echoing the view ahead of Thursday's Fifa council meeting.
Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation have indicated their opposition to Infantino's re-election bid following the World Cup sell-off scandal. However, they have not yet united behind a credible candidate, with the nomination deadline set for 18 November.
The presidents of these three confederations – Aleksander Ceferin, Victor Montagliani, and Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa – have ruled themselves out. Suggestions of high-profile figures such as Arsène Wenger or Michele Kang putting themselves forward have been dismissed, as have mentions of former Portugal international Luis Figo.
Sources familiar with the anti-Infantino lobby's plans suggest progress is being made, with one source indicating that any candidate who emerges may declare their intention close to the deadline to limit the time for Fifa to potentially obstruct their nomination.