Gianni Infantino is a man on a mission – one that's looking increasingly unstoppable. With over 200 countries throwing their weight behind him, he's poised to secure an unprecedented fourth term as FIFA President. The maths is simple: with more than two-thirds of the world's football nations backing him, it's difficult to see anyone knocking him off his perch at the organisation's congress in March 2027.
There are, however, a handful of European countries refusing to join the Infantino bandwagon – or so they say. Germany's DFB is still on the fence, while England's FA was happy to get its endorsement out of the way well before the current World Cup tournament kicked off. But make no mistake, this is Infantino's election – and he's got the numbers to prove it.
For now, Infantino remains the sole contender for the top job, with the deadline for candidates to be formally put forward still months away on 18 November 2026. While letters of support can theoretically be withdrawn or switched, his current level of backing makes him a force to be reckoned with. Some national FAs have been left feeling under pressure from within FIFA to confirm their support – and that's against the very principles of fairness embodied in the organisation's ethics code.
So what's behind this growing discontent among European FAs? Well, it all started with a bit of a kerfuffle involving USA striker Folarin Balogun. He got off scot-free after being sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina – despite FIFA admitting that former US President Donald Trump had been lobbying on his behalf. And if you think that's the only issue plaguing Infantino, think again. UEFA has made its opposition to his leadership clear, citing a host of grievances including the banning of Somali referee Omar Artan from the World Cup.
For now, though, it looks like Infantino is in no danger of being toppled. His support base stretches far beyond Europe's borders – and with that level of backing, he's not reliant on the continent's votes to secure his mandate. When FIFA's member associations gather in New York this Saturday, you can bet they'll be talking about more than just recent scandals – although those will certainly come up for discussion.