Infantino's rivals are pursuing "Mr. X"... FIFA presidency is nearing a decision.

Gianni Infantino's opponents are searching for a "Mr. X" who can challenge the FIFA president, as their options have dwindled ahead of the November 18 deadline for nominations in the FIFA presidential election. Meanwhile, the Swiss official continues his rounds among national federations, proposing additional funding for members amid rising tensions between FIFA and UEFA.

The pressure mounts as the FIFA Congress approaches on March 18, 2027, in Rabat, where Infantino's opposition has yet to present a clear rival. UEFA president and FIFA vice president Aleksander Čeferin has declined to run, while Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of the European Clubs Association and Paris Saint-Germain, has ruled himself out of the race.

Al-Khelaifi made his position clear during the general assembly of the European Clubs Association in Copenhagen, stating: "I have no interest in FIFA, nor any ambition," adding, "I don't think I'm the right man; FIFA is not for me."

The 52-year-old Qatari official had been considered a potential challenger to Infantino due to his extensive connections in international football and his membership on UEFA's executive committee. However, his public stance has complicated the search for a rival candidate for those seeking to present an alternative.

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, has emerged as a name being discussed, as he is familiar with the FIFA presidential race after competing against Infantino in the February 2016 election, which ended with Infantino winning the presidency over Joseph Blatter.

However, Sheikh Salman does not have unanimous support among critics of the current president, while Canadian Victor Montagliani, president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), has also been mentioned as a potential candidate in recent times.

Yet Montagliani has not declared his candidacy, leaving the question open about who could unite the opposition before the legal deadline for submissions.

Berlin Seeks a Way Out

All eyes are on the German capital, Berlin, on October 8 and 9, where European federation leaders are expected to meet to discuss the next steps in confronting Infantino, with anticipation for what the meetings may yield regarding a potential candidate or the strategy in the final weeks before the nomination deadline closes.

The German Football Association will be represented in the consultations by its president Bernd Neuendorf, vice president Hans-Joachim Watzke, and secretary general Holger Blask, as the German federation has become one of the parties opposing Infantino's policies.

The Berlin meeting comes at a time when Infantino has become more active outside FIFA's headquarters, as his recent travels included visits to Latvia, Poland, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, coinciding with the intensifying struggle over his future at the helm of the organization.

While his opponents search for a challenger, Infantino has sent a message to the presidents of the six continental federations expressing his willingness to support the distribution of additional funding to national federations from FIFA's reserves.

The FIFA president stated in the message that he does not wish to preemptively determine the amount, emphasizing that he will support "the highest possible level of additional funding that can be implemented responsibly within the framework of good governance at FIFA."

This issue is expected to be discussed during the FIFA Council meeting on October 15, following demands from European, North American, and Asian entities.

Infantino has previously addressed the 211 national federations with a message expressing his readiness for reform, amid rising objections from his opponents regarding the management of certain issues within FIFA.

Čeferin responded to Infantino's moves during the general assembly of the European Clubs Association in Copenhagen, without mentioning his name, recalling the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes," and stating: "Football does not need emperors," adding, "It is time to say enough; neither politics nor any amount of power gives anyone the right to sell football."

The task for the opponents becomes more difficult without the guarantee of all members of the continental federations aligning behind a single option, while the voting system in FIFA elections gives national federations a direct and decisive role in selecting the president.