Continental clash: where world football stands on Fifa and Infantino – explained

The six continental confederations are divided on whether Gianni Infantino should remain as Fifa president. Composite: Getty, Alamy, Reuters, Shutterstock

Continental clash: where world football stands on Fifa and Infantino – explained

With Oceania praising Fifa on Friday, all six confederations have finally had their say on the fallout from the World Cup sell-off plan

What’s the situation?

The Oceania Football Confederation’s (OFC) decision to belatedly issue a statement following this week’s executive committee meeting praising Fifa’s “progress achieved over the last decade” means all six continental confederations have finally had their say on the fallout from the World Cup sell-off plan that has split world football, with the votes seeming tied at three apiece on the key issue of whether Gianni Infantino should remain as Fifa president.

Significantly however, the individual member associations will not necessarily follow the lead set by their regional confederations, as New Zealand Football (NZF) quickly illustrated by contradicting the OFC’s position in withdrawing their support for Infantino and calling for an independent review of the sell-off plan.

NZF is the biggest federation in the OFC and has previously benefited from Infantino’s patronage as the co-hosts of the 2023 Women’s World Cup with Australia, which demonstrates how even some former allies are turning on the beleaguered president in an unprecedented situation for the global game.

Who supports Infantino?

While the OFC stopped just short of providing a ringing endorsement for Infantino’s re-election other confederations have been more bullish, with the Confederation of African Football (Caf) and the South American confederation (Conmebol) boldly declaring they want him to stay on for a third full term.

The 56-year-old has also received public declarations of support from individual Fifa member associations, some of whom are tied to the confederations who want him out, most significantly Mexico in Concacaf and Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the Asian Football Confederation.

Significantly the 2034 World Cup hosts Saudi Arabia have yet to declare their hand as the Saudi Football Federation is without a president, with elections taking place this month, and their position could be key in determining how many Asian countries follow the lead of the AFC.

Who opposes him?

Uefa has been the most vocal and vociferous opponents, even threatening to boycott Fifa tournaments if Infantino does not withdraw his candidacy, with the vast majority of their 55 members united behind them. The picture in Asia is less clear cut as outlined above, and it is unclear how many of their 47 members back the AFC leadership.

Concacaf’s 41 members appear more united, although the Grenada Football Association on Friday joined Mexico in declaring their support for Infantino.

Mexico is a special case as they have made clear they want to leave the confederation in any case to join Conmebol to gain more lucrative matches against Brazil and Argentina, but senior figures at Uefa are also convinced that individual African countries can be picked off and persuaded to join the rebels.

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What happens next?

After three weeks of frenetic activity football’s civil war has hardened into a stalemate, which is unlikely to be definitively resolved until next year’s presidential election at Fifa Congress in Rabat in March.

With strong allies in Africa and South America, plus the public support of the US president, Donald Trump, there is no prospect of Infantino resigning or withdrawing his candidacy for re-election so a bitterly fought seven-month campaign lies ahead.

The most immediate pinch-point is next month’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, which European countries have threatened to boycott, although it is unclear whether any teams will actually withdraw. Despite being on a war footing it is likely that Uefa and Fifa will reach a public truce in the next few weeks that would enable the competition to go ahead.

Beyond that the next deadline is 18 November, when candidates for the Fifa presidency must declare their hand, leaving the Uefa-led alliance with just over three months to find and unite behind an alternative to Infantino.

The Concacaf president, Victor Montagliani, is seen as the most likely challenger, but will only stand if he is convinced he can win.

With an electorate of 211 Fifa members the rebels are far from certain they are close enough to getting the 106 votes required to oust Infantino.