Gianni Infantino’s chances of being re-elected as Fifa president appear to have been given a major boost after potential rival Victor Montagliani confirmed he wants to remain as head of Concacaf.
The Canadian, 61, was widely seen as a possible candidate after Infantino’s failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors sparked a global backlash.
However, Montagliani never confirmed he wanted to challenge Infantino, and according to sources, he has now told colleagues that he will instead seek a final term as head of the confederation which governs North and Central America and the Caribbean.
As first reported by the Guardian, it means he will not stand against Infantino, 56, who has confirmed he will be seeking a fourth term in March’s presidential election.
The rebellion against him, spearheaded by European governing body Uefa, must now try to identify a unifying candidate by the deadline of 18 November.
Meanwhile, Aleksander Ceferin will stand for a fourth term as Uefa president.
Ceferin informed delegates of his decision at a meeting of all 55 national association chiefs in Berlin.
Uefa also reaffirmed its opposition to Infantino as it published a 14-point plan to reform world football’s governing body.
Ceferin’s move had been widely anticipated and reverses his insistence he would not seek re-election, which the Slovenian outlined in February 2024.
At that point Ceferin, who was initially elected in 2016, was embroiled in a row over Uefa changing its statutes to allow him to serve for a fourth term.
However, there had been a growing expectation the 58-year-old would stand.
This has only been made more likely since Uefa launched its efforts to oust Infantino, who scrapped his sell-off plan following widespread opposition.
“I want to thank the national associations for their trust,” Ceferin said.
“We have faced extraordinary challenges over the past years, and we have faced them as one team. There is still important work ahead, and I have therefore accepted their request.
“My ambition remains the same: to keep European football united, make our game stronger and leave Uefa ready for the next generation.”
Ceferin has ruled out standing against Infantino himself but is committed to finding a candidate around which the game can unite in March’s FIfa election.
Uefa sets out plans for Fifa reform
Uefa and 54 of its national associations, Azerbaijan being the exception, agreed on a clear direction for Fifa reform as part of the meeting.
As yet, no confirmed candidate has emerged to challenge Infantino in March.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Switzerland defender Ramon Vega says he intends to stand but it is unclear whether he can even garner the five letters of support required to get on the ballot paper.
“Institutional reform will not, on its own, be enough,” Uefa said.
“Fifa also needs new leadership: a respected and unifying figure, deeply rooted in football, with the vision and experience to lead, the ability to command confidence across regions and an unequivocal commitment to development, reform, integrity and independence.”
Much of Uefa’s plan centres around institutional governance and removes some of the direct powers of the president, which led to the creation of the Fifa Forward Enterprise proposal behind closed doors.
It also said that presidential or executive interference must be removed from oversight bodies which cover ethics and disciplinary matters.
Uefa added that no Fifa resources should be used for personal or electoral interests, and that at least $10m (£7.5m) of additional funding should be made available to each of the 211 member associations.
By BBC Sports
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