"Politics must not be allowed to overshadow the game," said Sepp Blatter after the 2026 World Cup. When the man who was banned from football is the voice of reason in the room, you know the current president has a problem.
Gianni Infantino's World Cup left a sour taste. Overpriced tickets. Hydration breaks weaponized as ad slots. Rule tweaks that felt designed around commercial interests rather than the game itself. Spain won the tournament. Argentina embarrassed themselves on the global stage with a brand of cynical football that turned the world against them. And Infantino? He watched from his private enclave while the discontent grew below him.
With FIFA's presidential election scheduled for November — nominations close on the 18th — the sharks are starting to circle.
The candidates taking shape
The English FA has reportedly withdrawn support from Infantino, and they may not be the last. The question is whether a credible challenger emerges in time to actually consolidate that dissatisfaction into votes.
Aleksander Ceferin is the name most would trust with the job. The UEFA president has the profile, the experience, and the relationships. He also, apparently, has zero interest in leaving his current role. So that's that.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi — PSG chairman and one of football's most powerful backroom operators — has been mentioned. He knows how to build an empire. Whether the football world wants FIFA run like a state-backed franchise is a different question entirely.
The most interesting name, at least in terms of actual declared support, is Dariusz Mioduski, president of Legia Warsaw. Football associations in Belgium, Spain, Norway, Germany, and Sweden are reportedly ready to back him, according to Ben Jacobs of talkSPORT. That's a meaningful coalition. Oddly, the Polish FA isn't among his backers — they're said to be supporting Al-Khelaifi instead.
The ones waiting in the wings
CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has made no secret of his ambitions at FIFA level, though he may consider his current role unfinished business. CAF president Patrice Motsepe is another long-term contender, but his eyes are reportedly fixed on the 2031 cycle rather than this one.
The field could still expand. Nominations don't close until November 18th, which leaves enough time for more candidates to announce — or for existing ones to quietly drop out if the numbers don't add up.
Infantino will be hoping that fragmented opposition works in his favour. If challengers split the vote across confederations, he survives. The only real threat is if one candidate manages to unite enough of Europe, Africa, and the Americas behind a single campaign. Right now, Mioduski looks closest to threading that needle — but closest isn't the same as close enough.
