Who Could Replace Gianni Infantino as Fifa President?

Pressure on Gianni Infantino, the president of world football's governing body Fifa, has reached a new intensity as the English Football Association signalled it may join Wales in withdrawing its support for his continued leadership. The development raises a pressing question: if Infantino goes, who comes next?

Infantino has led Fifa since 2016, steering the organisation through the expansion of the World Cup to a 48-team format and several controversial commercial initiatives. His tenure has been marked by a concentration of personal power, and recent proposals to sell stakes in Fifa competitions to private investors attracted fierce opposition from member associations.

The Landscape of Potential Successors

No obvious single successor has emerged. Fifa's presidency requires support from the continental football confederations, meaning any candidate must build broad cross-regional coalitions. African football, which represents a significant bloc of Fifa member associations, will be influential in any contest. UEFA, which controls European football, has shown increasing assertiveness in pushing back against Infantino's direction.

Potential candidates mentioned in football circles include senior confederation officials and national association leaders with strong international profiles. The selection process, should a vacancy arise, would likely involve a special congress called to elect a new president.

Timing and Process

Infantino's current mandate runs through the next World Cup cycle. For him to be removed before then would require either his voluntary resignation or action by Fifa's governance bodies. Legal and constitutional factors within Fifa's complex structure make a forced removal difficult, meaning the most likely scenario remains either his continuation under mounting pressure or a negotiated exit.