A whirlwind few months have left FIFA president Gianni Infantino on the precipice.
After overseeing a World Cup fraught with controversies, the 56-year-old poured gasoline on a growing dumpster fire by attempting to push through plans to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions to private investors. Unsurprisingly, his scheme was wildly unpopular and FIFA ultimately backtracked following backlash from its member nations.
Now, Infantino faces a fight to maintain his presidency. He appeared set to saunter to a third and final term after announcing his candidacy for next year’s elections, but confidence in his leadership has rapidly eroded. FIFA called an emergency meeting scheduled for Aug. 5 to deal with the emerging issues.
Having been lambasted by Europe’s governing body UEFA and lost mass support from previous backers elsewhere in the world, Infantino is now under enormous pressure.
Here’s a breakdown of what challenges he faces as he scrambles for re-election.
When Is the Next FIFA Presidential Election?
FIFA presidential elections are held every four years and the next will be staged at the FIFA Congress in Morocco on March 17, 2027.
A decade ago, the rules were changed to ensure presidents could only serve three terms spanning 12 years. The amendment was made after Sepp Blatter was ousted following corruption allegations in 2016, after which Infantino took charge. If he’s re-elected next March, Infantino will manage 15 years as president, owing to the fact his first three years on the job were not considered a full term.
The FIFA Congress after a World Cup campaign is always used to hold the election, with the most recent in 2019 and 2023 after tournaments in Brazil and Qatar. Infantino won both elections after running unopposed.
The Swiss-born chief is only the ninth different FIFA president. Robert Guérin was the first after taking office all the way back in 1904.
How Do FIFA Presidential Elections Work?
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