CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is making moves towards challenging Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency in the upcoming March election. The development comes as Infantino faces significant pressure and potential loss of support from high-ranking officials within the global governing body.

The election for the 2027-2031 cycle is scheduled to take place in Morocco on March 18 next year. Infantino stated in April that he would seek a fourth term as president, but his leadership has come under scrutiny following controversial commercial proposals.

Rejection of World Cup subsidiary plan

Tensions escalated after FIFA proposed creating a $20-billion subsidiary linked to the World Cup, identified as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). The project involves selling a 20 percent stake to private investors for approximately $4.2 billion. Funds collected from the sale would be used to increase financial assistance to national associations.

Under the proposal, all 211 FIFA members would receive a one-time payment of $20 million. The plan also aims to increase FIFA Forward program funds from $8 million to $20 million per association for the 2027-2030 period.

CONCACAF's 41 member associations rejected the proposal at a meeting on Thursday. Members expressed deep concerns regarding the lack of due process, a compressed timeline, and the absence of review or approval by FIFA's relevant governance bodies. The Mexican Football Federation stated it would review the plan before deciding its position.

Opposition extends beyond North and Central America. UEFA has expressed opposition to the plan to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup. Reports indicate that UEFA called for a boycott, a step CONCACAF members stopped short of backing.

Internal dissent and political concerns

French investigative journalist Romain Molina reported that many people within FIFA are dissatisfied with how Infantino leads the organization. Molina also reported that dissatisfaction stems from Infantino's open political support for US President Donald Trump.

Internal criticism has become public. FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour publicly criticized the project, calling it a 'one-man initiative' and accusing Infantino of a lack of transparency toward employees. Carlos Cordeiro, one of Infantino's close associates, resigned and opposed the project.