Infantino will run for a fourth term as FIFA president... Will his allies oust him?

FIFA announced that its president, Gianni Infantino, will run for re-election next March.

Infantino has been president of FIFA since 2016, but he has faced increasing pressure since he backed down from a plan to sell shares in the federation’s tournaments to private investment companies.

The plan, which was expected to generate large financial returns, sparked widespread objections, as the European Football Association (UEFA) threatened to boycott all FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup.

“The president of the federation announced in April that he would run for re-election in 2027,” FIFA said in a statement. “Of course, nothing has changed, and Mr. Infantino will run in the elections.”

Infantino refused to answer journalists' questions about his future while attending the U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland on Saturday.

This is the first time that FIFA has confirmed Infantino's intention to run for a fourth term since the plan was revealed following the summer World Cup.

FIFA regulations stipulate that the president may not hold office for more than four terms. If Infantino, the 56-year-old Swiss, is re-elected, he will remain in office until 2031.

This week, FIFA accused UEFA of launching a “smear campaign against him and his leadership,” in the latest chapter of the legal dispute between the two sides over Infantino’s plan.

Last week, UEFA submitted a legal request in the United States to compel FIFA to disclose evidence and documents, warning of the possibility of filing a criminal complaint in Switzerland.

Until mid-July, Infantino's victory for a new term was considered almost settled, after he received the support of the overwhelming majority of FIFA member associations, without facing a serious competitor.

But the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland are among those that have publicly withdrawn their support since his plan was revealed.

BBC Sport has learned that UEFA is confident of finding a candidate to compete with Infantino.

Any candidate must obtain the support of at least 106 of the 211 FIFA member associations.

On the other hand, UEFA backed down from the idea of ​​pushing for a vote of no confidence in Infantino, as the approval of such a proposal would require amending the FIFA statute and the approval of three-quarters of the member associations, i.e. 159 votes, which is a scenario considered unrealistic.

The name of any candidate to face Infantino has not yet been announced, but the president of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF), Victor Montagliani, is seen as a serious option.