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Imagn Images-Raymond Carlin III
Once seen as the undisputed leader of global football, Gianni Infantino has seen his base of support as FIFA president crumble over the last two weeks.
In the aftermath of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a huge financial success for FIFA, Infantino's public image has collapsed as his FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan ended up in tatters.
Infantino attempted to develop the FFE plan in secret, trusting only his most internal accomplices to piece together a proposal to sell a minority stake in the World Cup in exchange for an injection of cash. However, the secrecy around this proposed plan has sparked outrage both publicly and within the FIFA structure.
With the walls closing in on the head man, the idea of Infantino's resignation has been floated by media, former players, and even some in and around world football governance.
If Infantino were to resign his position, what comes next for FIFA?
MORE: Candidates to be FIFA president if Gianni Infantino steps down
What happens if Gianni Infantino resigns?
If Gianni Infantino were to capitulate to the increasing weight of global pressure and resign his position as FIFA president, there are a few potential routes that FIFA could take to identify and select his replacement.
First, FIFA could potentially call an extraordinary congress to elect a new president. However, because this process requires a three-month waiting period before the congress can be called, this is unlikely, as FIFA would need to complete an entire election process and then do it again at the regular election scheduled for March.
A far more likely scenario would see an interim president appointed to carry the organisation through to the March election.
It's unclear who would serve as interim president in that scenario, but the most likely candidate is FIFA's second-in-command, currently AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who holds the title of FIFA senior vice president.
MORE: Tracking those who have spoken out both for and against Gianni Infantino
When will a new FIFA president be appointed?
At this point, all we know is that the regularly scheduled FIFA presidential election will be held in March to choose a new appointee, scheduled to take place at the March 18 FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco.
For a long time, it was believed that Gianni Infantino would earn a fourth and final term with ease at this election, possibly even unopposed.
Now, with Infantino's position significantly weakened, it is expected that he will face a strong challenge for the role from at least one, and possibly multiple, contenders.
Timeline of next steps for appointing new FIFA president
If Infantino were to resign and an extraordinary congress were called to elect a new president, there would be a three-month notice period for member associations to make plans for their trip to the event.
This means that, at the earliest, a new president could be elected in November.
Just like Infantino's first term as FIFA president in the wake of Sepp Blatter's exit, the shorter extraordinary stint as president would not count as part of the elected individual's three-term limit. This rule is why Infantino is on his fourth term as president even though FIFA statutes specify that a single individual may serve no more than three four-year terms as president.
Who are the candidates to be next FIFA president?
There are three leading candidates to put their names up for FIFA president should Infantino either step down, or decide to run for a fourth term.
First is CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, who has long been seen as Infantino's potential successor, but recently has reportedly looked to consolidate support for a run at the spot soon.
Second is FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, who was once an Infantino loyalist but has since reportedly broken off and formed his own support group after being left out of discussions around the FFE plan.
And finally, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who is currently FIFA senior vice president, effectively the second-in-command at the organisation. Sheikh Salman ran against Infantino when the Swiss-born executive first ran for president after replacing Sepp Blatter, and narrowly lost the vote, so he could attempt to seek another attempt at the position.
Kyle Bonn
Kyle Bonn is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.
Source: Sporting News
