How Gianni Infantino’s FIFA empire came under pressure: Key dates in the fight for the presidency

The battle for the FIFA presidency has moved into a new phase after former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega announced his intention to challenge Gianni Infantino in next year’s election.

Vega, a former Switzerland international, became the first person to publicly declare his intention to run against the incumbent president. The 55-year-old has previously explored presidential bids and has now presented himself as a reform candidate, arguing that FIFA needs to restore trust and reconnect with the wider football community.

“My purpose is straightforward: to serve football and the people who give the game its life. I am standing to reunite the global football family, deliver genuine and lasting reform, modernise FIFA for the 21st century, restore stability and credibility, and rebuild the trust that our game urgently needs,” Vega said.

His announcement comes as Infantino attempts to secure another term in office amid a governance dispute that has split FIFA’s membership along increasingly visible lines.

Infantino confirmed on September 6 that he would seek re-election at the FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco, on March 18, 2027. The deadline for candidates to formally enter the race is November 18, 2026.

Vega’s emergence therefore gives the contest its first publicly declared challenger, although reports indicate that several other figures have been discussed as possible alternatives to Infantino.

Among the names linked to a potential challenge have been CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, AFC president Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Legia Warsaw owner Dariusz Mioduski and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom.

However, the situation remains fluid. Montagliani has since indicated that he intends to seek another term as CONCACAF president, making a FIFA challenge from him unlikely.

How Infantino took control of FIFA

Infantino became FIFA president in 2016 after Sepp Blatter resigned amid a corruption scandal that engulfed football’s governing body.

The Swiss lawyer, who had previously served as UEFA’s general secretary, entered office promising to restore FIFA’s reputation and strengthen its governance.

He unveiled a 90-day plan aimed at tackling corruption and improving the organisation’s image, describing the situation as “now or never” for FIFA governance.

Infantino also surrounded himself with prominent former footballers, using so-called FIFA Legends as ambassadors in an attempt to reconnect the organisation with supporters and the global football community.

But questions about his leadership began to surface relatively early.

FIFA’s ethics committee investigated Infantino over his acceptance of two private jet flights shortly after he became president. A further investigation followed over the departure of senior figures from FIFA’s ethics structures.

Swiss prosecutors later investigated Infantino over meetings with former Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber.

Lauber eventually left office in 2020 after a court found that he had covered up meetings with Infantino. The episode generated fresh criticism over transparency within FIFA and whether the organisation had genuinely moved away from the practices associated with the Blatter era.

Despite those controversies, Infantino retained sufficient support among FIFA’s 211 member associations to remain firmly in control.

The Saudi Arabia World Cup controversy

Another major point of contention came with the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia.

FIFA restricted the bidding process to countries from the Asian and Oceania confederations, with Saudi Arabia ultimately becoming the sole bidder.

Infantino congratulated Saudi Arabia on securing the tournament before the formal selection process had concluded, adding to criticism over the way the bidding process was handled.

The decision also came against the backdrop of FIFA’s commercial relationship with Saudi state-owned oil giant Aramco, which became one of the governing body’s major sponsors.

For critics, the combination of the World Cup decision and FIFA’s commercial relationship with Saudi Arabia raised further questions about transparency and the direction of Infantino’s administration.

Nevertheless, those controversies did not produce the kind of organised opposition that would seriously threaten his presidency.

That changed in 2026.

The FIFA Forward Enterprise explosion

The biggest challenge to Infantino’s authority emerged after FIFA proposed creating a commercial subsidiary known as FIFA Forward Enterprise.

The proposal envisaged using the new entity to commercialise stakes in FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup.

The plan was designed to unlock significant additional revenue, with reports putting the potential fundraising figure at as much as $4.2 billion and the proposed subsidiary’s valuation at around $20 billion.

Infantino argued that the initiative could generate more money for football development around the world.

In a July message to FIFA’s member associations, he described the proposal as a potential “golden opportunity” to increase investment in pitches, national teams, youth development and women’s football. FIFA stressed at the time that the project remained subject to consultation.

But opposition rapidly intensified.

The proposal alarmed several confederations and national associations, which questioned the transparency of the process and the concentration of commercial power within FIFA.

UEFA became one of the most vocal critics.

European associations threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the proposal remained on the table, while the AFC described the plan as unacceptable and CONCACAF raised concerns about governance.

The controversy went beyond national associations.

Senior FIFA figures also criticised the proposal, including FIFA COO Kevin Lamour, who was later dismissed, and senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who resigned after describing the project as a bad deal for FIFA’s member associations, football and the sport’s long-term future.

FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom also criticised the events surrounding the proposal.

The backlash eventually forced Infantino and FIFA to abandon the project.

On August 1, FIFA announced that the plan had been scrapped, arguing that it had created divisions that were no longer compatible with its original objective.

“The project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” FIFA said.

The governing body added that its purpose “has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve.”

Europe, Asia and CONCACAF turn up the pressure

The cancellation of FIFA Forward Enterprise did not end the dispute.

Instead, it triggered an even more serious political confrontation within world football.

UEFA, AFC and CONCACAF issued a joint letter on August 10 criticising Infantino’s leadership and calling for fundamental reform.

“When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” the confederations said.

The unprecedented intervention demonstrated the scale of the disagreement.

The three confederations represent a substantial portion of FIFA’s voting membership and control some of the most commercially powerful football markets in the world.

UEFA members had also voted to boycott FIFA competitions while the Forward Enterprise proposal remained on the table. The boycott was suspended after FIFA withdrew the plan.

The Netherlands Football Association, meanwhile, pushed for a global summit on FIFA reform and proposed inviting all 211 member associations.

The Dutch federation has described the situation as a “fundamental breach of trust”, while the French Football Federation said the trust placed in Infantino had been betrayed.

Germany’s DFB also spoke of an “irreparable loss of confidence.”

UEFA subsequently threatened legal action over the handling of documents and information connected to the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal.

Infantino still has powerful allies

Despite the revolt from Europe and parts of the Americas and Asia, Infantino is far from isolated.

Africa remains one of his strongest sources of support.

The Confederation of African Football has backed his re-election, with all 54 African member associations pledging their support during an October 8 meeting in Cape Verde. CAF president Patrice Motsepe highlighted FIFA’s investment in African football and praised Infantino’s relationship with the continent.

South America has also remained supportive through CONMEBOL.

A number of national associations across Africa, Asia and other regions have publicly backed Infantino, including Nigeria, Ghana’s fellow African football powers such as Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, South Africa and DR Congo, as well as Argentina, Paraguay, Mexico, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

That support gives Infantino a substantial bloc heading into the election.

It also illustrates why the contest is more complicated than the growing European opposition might suggest.

FIFA’s presidency is decided by its 211 member associations, with each association holding one vote regardless of the size or commercial strength of its domestic game.

As a result, support from Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean and smaller football nations can be just as important as backing from Europe’s major associations.

The World Cup added another layer

The crisis also intensified during the 2026 World Cup after FIFA reversed the suspension of United States striker Folarin Balogun.

Balogun had received a straight red card during the United States’ round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, triggering a one-match suspension.

The decision was subsequently reversed, making Balogun available for the United States’ last-16 match against Belgium.

The intervention attracted particular scrutiny after United States President Donald Trump confirmed that he had spoken to Infantino and asked FIFA to review the decision. FIFA subsequently lifted the suspension, although it placed Balogun on probation.

The reversal generated criticism from Belgium and others who questioned the precedent it created.

The controversy was especially sensitive because of Infantino’s close public relationship with Trump, who had earlier received FIFA’s newly created Peace Prize.

Critics argued that the sequence of events raised questions about the independence and consistency of FIFA’s disciplinary processes.

FIFA, however, defended its decision through the relevant regulatory provisions, while Trump said he had requested a review because he considered the original punishment unfair.

The fight now moves towards Rabat

With the Forward Enterprise proposal abandoned, the argument over FIFA’s governance has not disappeared.

Instead, it has shifted towards the 2027 presidential election.

Infantino wants another mandate.

His opponents want a credible alternative capable of bringing together the confederations and associations that have become dissatisfied with his leadership.

The biggest problem for those seeking change has been finding a candidate with sufficient international reach and enough support among FIFA’s 211 members.

Vega has now stepped forward, but becoming a formal candidate will require him to satisfy FIFA’s eligibility requirements and secure the necessary support.

The election campaign therefore remains in its early stages.

The deadline is November 18, 2026, at 23:59 CEST. Every candidate hoping to challenge Infantino must have completed the required process by then.

The vote will take place on March 18, 2027, at the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat.

Until then, the balance of power will continue to shift.

Infantino enters the contest with significant support from Africa and other parts of the world, while UEFA and several national associations are demanding governance reforms and seeking a credible challenger.

Vega’s announcement ensures that the election is no longer simply a question of whether Infantino will seek another term.

The question now is whether the opposition can turn widespread dissatisfaction into a single, viable challenge.

For FIFA, the answer could determine whether the organisation enters 2027 with continuity at the top or begins another chapter in its long-running struggle over power, accountability and reform.