Just weeks after his position appeared to be in serious jeopardy, Gianni Infantino looks increasingly likely to secure another term as Fifa president without facing a single credible challenger. With the nomination deadline set for 18 November, senior football figures now believe the 56-year-old Swiss-Italian official could be returned unopposed at the Fifa Congress in Rabat on 18 March.
The turnaround marks a remarkable shift from two months ago, when revelations about the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal threatened to derail Infantino's leadership. The plan, which would have seen commercial rights to the World Cup sold to a private equity firm, drew fierce criticism and appeared to leave Infantino politically exposed, particularly in the eyes of Uefa, which had hoped to use the controversy to force him from power.
However, Uefa has been unable to rally sufficient opposition or identify a viable candidate to run against him. Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf, had been widely viewed as the most plausible challenger capable of uniting Infantino's critics. But the Canadian never publicly expressed interest in the role and has since confirmed to staff that he will instead seek re-election within Concacaf, effectively ruling himself out of the Fifa race.
The only declared challenger so far is Ramon Vega, the former Tottenham and Switzerland defender, though he is expected to struggle to secure the five member-association endorsements required to formally enter the contest—just as he did four years ago.
While his opponents search for an alternative, Infantino has been touring the globe, strengthening alliances and making high-profile appearances. His recent itinerary has included the presidential inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia, a Fifa-backed youth tournament in the Dominican Republic, the Fifa Asean Cup final in Jakarta, and an African football conference in Cape Verde.
Football's governing bodies remain split along geographic lines, with Uefa, Concacaf and Asian federations largely opposed to Infantino, while Africa, South America and Oceania continue to back him. Africa's 54 member nations, representing more than a quarter of Fifa's voting power, have reaffirmed their support for Infantino three times this year alone. Speaking at the Cape Verde conference, Infantino highlighted Fifa's financial commitment to the continent, stating: