Arab filter in the forefront.. "UEFA" He plans to fire Infantino and is looking for a replacement

The pressure on the Swiss has increased

Gianni Infantino, president of the International Federation of Football Associations, faces an unprecedented challenge as European calls grow for a strong candidate to challenge him in the upcoming presidential election, given the growing rift between him and the European Football Association (Uefa).

Discover the locationTALKSPORT:The British newspaper revealed intense moves by UEFA member states to mobilize support for a European candidate to challenge Infantino, after the latter hoped to be re-elected unopposed without real competition.

The red card crisis is causing controversy

Tensions between the FIFA president and UEFA deepened after it emerged that Infantino had received a phone call from US President Donald Trump asking him to intervene to review the red card for US striker Folarin Balogun at the 2026 World Cup.

UEFA issued a strongly-worded statement accusing FIFA of “crossing red lines”, while Infantino defended the independence of the Disciplinary Committee, which overturned the suspension without providing adequate explanations other than “personal assessment”.

Who will compete with Infantino?

UEFA president Aleksandar Ceferin stands out as the strongest possible candidate, but he prefers to stay in his current position and is not looking to compete directly with Infantino.

Associations in Belgium, Poland and other European countries are moving to back PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, but reports suggest he has no ambitions to run and if he pulls out, Poland will back Legia Warsaw owner Dariusz Miodoski.

Victor Montagliani (CONCACAF President) and Patrice Motsepe (CAF President) are being mentioned outside of Europe, but the former is focusing on his current position, while the latter prefers to wait until 2031.

The biggest European challenge

The real challenge for Uefa federations seeking to unseat Infantino is that his ambitious plans to expand the World Cup to 64 teams from 48, in addition to his project to expand the Club World Cup and turn it into a tournament instead of four years, enjoy broad support and great enthusiasm from members of the confederation, North African Football and the Confederation of Football. Asian Football Confederation.

These expansion plans give small and medium-sized countries more opportunities to participate in major tournaments and to receive greater financial returns, making Infantino very popular outside the borders of the European continent and making it difficult for any European candidate who wants to compete with him in the upcoming elections.

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