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UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has presented FIFA president Gianni Infantino with two options, neither of which include him retaining his position beyond next year.
"One option is that he recognizes he lacks support — not just the political backing of those who cast votes, but the support of the football community, the fans, the players, former players, and coaches," Čeferin said Sunday on The Rest Is Politics podcast.
"The second option is that he proceeds to the elections in March, but in that case, I believe there will be a candidate running against him. I don't know yet who that will be."
Čeferin, who also serves as a FIFA vice-president, was initially considered a likely candidate for the FIFA presidency. He and UEFA have been the most vocal critics of Infantino following the president's attempt to sell shares of the World Cup to private investors.
UEFA is currently boycotting FIFA competitions and is reportedly drawing up plans to launch a separate tournament alongside Concacaf to compete with FIFA.
Despite this, Čeferin has taken himself out of the running for the FIFA presidency, saying he is "not interested" in the role, yet he is determined to use every means at his disposal to prevent Infantino from serving another term.
Infantino was compelled to abandon his poorly received World Cup investment proposal, valued at $20 billion, just three days after it was leaked to the press, following fierce backlash from much of the sporting world and widespread claims that soccer should never be treated as a commodity.
"I'm always struck by the power of football," Čeferin said. "You can do many things to people, but don't take football away from them ... Once again, we see the extraordinary power of football."
"The most important thing is that we prevented yet another attempt to commercialize the sport," he added. "It's difficult to comprehend what kind of people would sell a sport that belongs to everybody."
Potential Candidates to Challenge Gianni Infantino
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was also floated as a potential successor to Infantino; however, he too is "not interested" in the role, according to Čeferin.
No one has publicly stepped forward to challenge Infantino as of yet. The Swiss lawyer had originally been expected to run unopposed next year. Still, Čeferin remains unconcerned, confident that a suitable candidate will come forward.
"It's really too early. The [nomination] deadline is November 18," he said. "Let's see what unfolds between now and then."
A prominent potential contender is Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, who recently wrote a letter to Infantino urging him not to attend an under-14 youth tournament in the Dominican Republic over the weekend, warning that his presence would "undermine" the event. Infantino attended regardless. Another possible candidate is Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness.
More Dissent, One Vote of Approval
Gibraltar became the latest nation to withdraw its endorsement of Infantino's bid for the 2027 FIFA presidential election, releasing an official statement on Monday:
"The FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, and the serious questions that have emerged regarding the transparency, consultation, and decision-making surrounding a proposal of such significance to world football, have fundamentally altered our position.
"Our concerns were further amplified by the circumstances surrounding Mr. Kevin Lamour's exit from FIFA and what those circumstances imply about the ability of senior officials to question decisions and raise legitimate concerns."
Lamour, FIFA's chief operating officer, was dismissed by soccer's governing body on Aug. 17 — a decision that came just weeks after he publicly defied FIFA's recent conduct.
"Gibraltar is one of world football's smaller Member Associations," the statement went on. "We do not possess the financial or political clout of football's largest nations. Our protection lies in strong institutions, clear rules, transparency, consultation, and collective decision-making. Smaller associations are sometimes expected to remain silent on matters like this. We do not believe that would be appropriate here."
Meanwhile, Cameroonian Football Federation president and former football icon Samuel Eto'o took the opposing view, publicly declaring his full support for Infantino on Monday.
"I don't think that President Gianni Infantino has done anything wrong."
In an exclusive interview with @AmandaDCNN, President of the Cameroonian Football Federation and famed former player @SamuelEtoo shares his support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino. pic.twitter.com/xwzRt76RvR
"I don't think that President Gianni Infantino has done anything wrong. I believe the timing of all of this is tied to the upcoming election in which Gianni Infantino is standing. That's all it comes down to," he told CNN News.
He also expressed hope that the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal would be revisited if Infantino wins re-election: "I want to see all of my colleagues, all of the presidents, re-reading the project. After President Infantino is re-elected, we will have the strength to push for this project to be brought back to the table for discussion. If there is a democratic vote, this project will be adopted because it benefits the majority."