Gianni Infantino is increasingly likely to be re-elected as Fifa president without opposition, with senior figures in world football believing he may run unopposed. The deadline for nominations for the presidential election is 18 November.
This development comes despite earlier controversy surrounding Infantino's Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which involved selling commercial rights in the World Cup to a private equity firm. At the time, many believed his position was untenable.
Uefa, which opposed the FFE proposal, has been unable to identify a candidate to challenge Infantino. Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf, had been suggested as a potential opponent but has indicated he intends to stand for re-election with Concacaf.
Infantino has been on a global tour to strengthen his position, securing unconditional support from the 54 African nations, which account for more than a quarter of the votes. Uefa still hopes to find incriminating evidence against Infantino through legal claims lodged in US courts, aiming to pursue "criminal mismanagement" through Swiss courts if successful.