Opposition to Infantino grows ahead of the 2027 election: Rabat no longer looks like a formality
Gianni Infantino has entered the final months before the presidential candidacy deadline facing the most serious political resistance since taking over FIFA in 2016. The incumbent president has already announced that he will seek a new mandate at the 77th FIFA Congress, which will be held on 18 March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. FIFA officially confirmed the date and venue of the electoral Congress in April 2026 in Vancouver, when Infantino also announced his new candidacy. In the meantime, the dispute over the withdrawn FIFA Forward Enterprise project has grown from a commercial issue into a broader debate about transparency, procedures and the concentration of power in world football. Criticism that initially came primarily from Europe now includes the leadership of several confederations, national associations and representatives of professional leagues.
Africa, a continent that for years has been one of the key pillars of Infantino's power, has attracted particular attention. The Guardian reported on 22 August that senior African football officials had spoken with FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström to explore whether he would be willing to stand against his current president. According to that report, two presidents of African national associations separately contacted Grafström, who reportedly did not give a final answer. The same source states that as many as 15 African associations could withhold their support from Infantino, despite the public decision of the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, to once again express its support for him. That difference between the official position of the continental organisation and the possible mood among some of its members is one of the key unknowns ahead of the vote in Rabat.
Grafström from closest associate to possible challenger
Mattias Grafström is not the typical profile of an opposition candidate. FIFA formally appointed him Secretary General in May 2024 after he had served in an interim capacity since October 2023. According to FIFA's official biography, he began his career at UEFA and, after Infantino's election in 2016, moved to FIFA as head of his office. In 2019, he became Deputy Secretary General responsible for football, meaning that over the past decade he has been closely associated with the administration of the current president. That is precisely why the fact that some African officials are considering him as a possible opposing candidate carries greater political weight than the usual speculation about external challengers.
The Guardian states that Grafström's initial reactions during the crisis surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise project prompted some of Infantino's critics to begin viewing him as a possible compromise figure. Following a crisis meeting in Rabat on 5 August, FIFA officially announced that Grafström and the members of the administration present had expressed full support for the president, while Infantino in turn backed the Secretary General and the administration. The organisation acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the process surrounding FFE and announced improvements in communication and procedures. As of 26 August, Grafström had not publicly stated that he intended to enter the presidential race, so his name must still be treated as a possibility rather than a confirmed candidacy.
Africa remains crucial, but is no longer completely predictable
CAF announced on 6 August that its Executive Committee had unanimously accepted the joint report by Infantino and Grafström on the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise project and had once again unanimously confirmed its support for the FIFA president. CAF President Patrice Motsepe simultaneously stressed that good governance, transparency and respect for procedures are essential and non-negotiable. Since CAF has 54 members, a united African bloc would represent a major advantage for any candidate. However, FIFA's presidential election is not formally a vote by confederations but by individual national associations, meaning that the position of the continental leadership does not necessarily translate automatically into 54 identical votes.
It is in this context that claims that between ten and 15 African associations could support another candidate should be viewed. The Guardian cites sources within African football structures who claim that some members are not prepared to promise their vote to Infantino in advance. The number of such associations has not been officially confirmed and could change significantly before the election. Nevertheless, the mere possibility that part of Africa could break away from the incumbent president changes the electoral arithmetic, particularly if a candidate emerges who can attract support from several confederations. At the same time, many African associations have for years viewed positively the growth in development funding through the FIFA Forward programme, so it would be wrong to assume that the continent has simply moved into opposition.
FFE turned a commercial proposal into a crisis of confidence
At the centre of the current conflict is the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, or FFE, which FIFA presented at the end of July as a way of consolidating its commercial rights and the operational management of competitions within a separate subsidiary. According to official FIFA data, the goal was to substantially increase development funding for 211 national associations. The organisation stated that funding through the Forward programme for the 2027-2030 cycle could increase from eight to 20 million US dollars per member, with the possibility of additional financing for special projects. Infantino described the proposal as a way to direct a larger share of football's global commercial value into pitches, national teams, young players and women's football. FIFA emphasised that the new company would remain under its control and that the project would require approval from the member associations and the FIFA Council.
The problem arose because of the process and the planned entry of private capital. UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC argued that the relevant governing bodies had not been involved in a timely manner and that a decision with such far-reaching consequences could not be discussed through an accelerated process. Concacaf announced on 30 July that its members rejected the proposal, citing a lack of due process, transparency and prior approval from the appropriate FIFA bodies. After the plan was withdrawn, UEFA said that the current leadership had lost its confidence, while AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa stressed that initiatives capable of affecting global football must be discussed in a timely and transparent manner with the confederations, the FIFA Council, national associations and other stakeholders.
Infantino announced on 31 July that the project would not proceed because it had created divisions that were no longer in the interest of the original objective. A few days later in Rabat, FIFA acknowledged mistakes in the process, stated that there had been no intention to exclude the FIFA Council and national associations, and announced an internal review. At the same time, the organisation rejected claims that it had acted outside its regulatory framework and later warned that it would not accept attempts to circumvent statutory procedures for the presidential election. As a result, the dispute ceased to concern only one business project and became a test of confidence in the relationships between the president, the administration, the confederations and the national associations.
UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC increase the pressure
The most organised resistance is coming from Europe, but it is no longer limited to UEFA alone. The European confederation announced on 1 August that the FFE proposal had been unanimously rejected by its national associations and that the withdrawal of the project was only the beginning of the process of rebuilding trust in FIFA. During August, UEFA also considered the possibility of boycotting FIFA competitions. British media reported on 26 August that the threat could be withdrawn following assurances that a similar attempt to bring private investment into key competitions would not be repeated, but the political pressure on Infantino has not disappeared.
From the beginning of the dispute, Concacaf took a firm position on procedure, stating that it had first learned of FFE from media reports. The AFC then publicly supported the demand for proper consultations. Six Nordic football associations - Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and the Faroe Islands - jointly announced on 23 August that they had lost confidence in Infantino's leadership and supported calls for a fully independent external investigation into the events connected with FFE. According to the Associated Press, they are also seeking a broader independent review of FIFA's governance system, including oversight mechanisms, transparency and accountability.
Pressure increased further on 26 August. Reuters reported that European Leagues President Claudius Schäfer, whose organisation represents 53 professional men's and women's leagues from 34 countries, questioned Infantino's suitability to continue serving as president. On the same day, the Italian Football Federation withdrew its support for his candidacy, joining a number of European associations that had already done so. Critics are no longer speaking only about one failed project, but about the balance of power between the president and the institutions that are supposed to oversee key decisions. On the other hand, Infantino still has public support from a number of associations in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and other parts of the world, so it cannot be claimed that he has already lost his majority.
Sheikh Salman and the search for a candidate who can unite several continents
Alongside Grafström, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa continues to be mentioned among the possible challengers. The Bahraini official already has experience of a presidential campaign: at the Extraordinary FIFA Congress in Zürich on 26 February 2016, he was Infantino's main rival. According to FIFA's official results, Infantino won 115 votes in the second round and Salman 88. Ten years later, the balance of power looks different because the former UEFA candidate is now in an open political conflict with the European confederation, while the AFC president is publicly criticising the way FIFA handled the FFE process. Nevertheless, as of 26 August, Sheikh Salman had not announced a presidential candidacy for 2027.
His name matters because of the possibility of creating a broader alliance among the confederations. If the AFC, UEFA, part of Concacaf and part of Africa were to support the same candidate, such a coalition would represent a serious challenge to the incumbent president. However, such unity has not yet been confirmed. Within every confederation there are associations with their own sporting, political and financial interests, and some members of Asia and Africa have already publicly expressed support for Infantino. Statements by continental leaders therefore carry major political significance, but they do not guarantee bloc voting.
The 18 November deadline is the first major turning point
The most important date before the Congress itself is 18 November 2026, when the deadline for submitting presidential candidacies expires. The Norwegian Football Federation explicitly cited that deadline in its decision to withdraw institutional confidence from Infantino. The opponents of the incumbent president therefore have less than three months to move from public criticism to a coordinated electoral strategy. Aleksander Čeferin, the UEFA president, said on 24 August that he would not stand himself, but according to the Associated Press he expressed the expectation that an opponent to Infantino would emerge.
Infantino's greatest advantage remains the fact that he is still the only publicly confirmed candidate and that, during a decade at the head of FIFA, he has built a broad network of relationships with national associations. His administration has significantly increased development programmes and financial allocations, something particularly valued by associations that receive a large share of their international revenue through FIFA's distribution models. CAF has officially reaffirmed its support, while FIFA has publicly warned that the issue of the presidency must be resolved exclusively through statutory and electoral procedures.
The opposition bloc, however, now has a common theme that crosses the boundaries of continental interests: transparency, independent oversight and the way major commercial decisions are made. If it also gains a common candidate by November, Rabat could become the scene of the first genuinely uncertain presidential election of the Infantino era. If the opponents fail to agree on a person and a programme, the incumbent president will retain the important advantage of a fragmented opposition.
Rabat becomes a symbol of the broader struggle over FIFA's future model
The election on 18 March 2027 will not be merely a vote on the person who will lead FIFA until 2031. It will also be a test of the national associations' views on how much authority the president should have, how commercial decisions must be prepared and how strong internal and external controls should be. The FFE crisis showed that development funding and governance transparency are not separate issues, because the distribution of major revenues directly affects political relations among 211 members with very different financial capabilities. Every serious candidate will therefore have to offer both a model of good governance and a convincing answer to the question of how to maintain or increase investment in football outside the wealthiest markets.
For now, it is unclear whether Mattias Grafström will accept the role of challenger, whether Sheikh Salman will make another attempt to win the presidency, or whether a third name capable of bringing together a sufficiently broad coalition will emerge. What is certain is that the political terrain is significantly different from when Infantino announced his new candidacy in Vancouver. CAF's official support still gives him a strong foundation, but reports about the possible defection of some African associations show that no regional bloc should be regarded as completely closed. By the candidacy deadline of 18 November, it will become clearer whether Rabat will bring a genuine electoral contest or whether the current rebellion will remain a strong but politically fragmented challenge to Infantino's leadership.
Sources:
- FIFA - confirmation of the location and date of the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat in 2027 (link)
- FIFA - Infantino's announcement of his candidacy for a new mandate (link)
- The Guardian - report on contacts between African officials and Mattias Grafström and the possible loss of support from up to 15 African associations (link)
- CAF - official support for Infantino and position on governance after the withdrawal of FFE (link)
- FIFA - statement following the leadership crisis meeting in Rabat on 5 August (link)
- FIFA - explanation of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project and the planned increase in development funding (link)
- UEFA - reaction to the withdrawal of the project and loss of confidence in FIFA's current leadership (link)
- Concacaf - official rejection of FFE over procedural and transparency concerns (link)
- AFC - statement by President Sheikh Salman after the withdrawal of FFE (link)
- Associated Press - Nordic associations and Čeferin's decision not to stand (link; link)
- Reuters / Al Jazeera - criticism from European Leagues President Claudius Schäfer on 26 August (link)
- FIFA - official results of the 2016 presidential election (link)
- The Guardian - report of 26 August on the possible withdrawal of UEFA's boycott threat following FIFA assurances (link)
- ANSA - report of 26 August on the Italian Football Federation's decision to withdraw its support for Infantino (link)
- Norwegian Football Federation - decision to withdraw institutional confidence and citation of the 18 November 2026 candidacy deadline (link)