*This content was translated by AI.
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has abruptly withdrawn its so-called project to sell World Cup shares to external investors, significantly shaking the position of Gianni In Pan-ti-no (Chairman). With doubts rising over In Pan-ti-no (Chairman)'s leadership following his successful third term, some analysts suggest he may be facing a crossroads leading to resignation.
British media outlet 'BBC' reported on the 1st (Korea time) that "In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) stands on the brink," examining whether In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) is actually likely to step down and who would take over the presidency if he does resign.
Recently, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) established a subsidiary called FFE responsible for commercial and operational rights to major tournaments such as the World Cup and Club World Cup, and secretly pushed to sell shares to U.S. venture capital firms like Slice Capital. The plan even included an unprecedented offer to provide $40 million (approximately 57 billion won) in support to member associations that accepted the deal.
However, once this plan became known, the entire football community reacted strongly against it. After the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) warned of a potential tournament boycott, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) joined in to criticize In Pan-ti-no (Chairman)'s unilateral actions. The AFC stated, "This incident has exposed fundamental vulnerabilities in FIFA's decision-making process under the Infantino regime."
The defection and public criticism from top internal officials were also fatal blows. Carlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to In Pan-ti-no (Chairman), abruptly resigned, stating that the future of football was being gambled away. Kevin Lamour, FIFA's Chief Operating Officer (COO), said, "Even FIFA's own administrative organization has been deceived. The president should unite people, but right now it is exactly the opposite," while pressuring him to resign.
Ultimately, on the 1st, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) issued an official statement saying, "After carefully listening to all opinions, it has become clear that this project would cause greater division within the football community than anticipated," and abruptly withdrew his intention to sell shares.
However, even with the withdrawal of the sale proposal, evaluations suggest that In Pan-ti-no (Chairman)'s leadership wounds are difficult to heal. David Bernstein, former president of the Football Association (FA) of England, told 'BBC', "In a typical organization, withdrawing from a business deal of this scale during such an incident would have led to expulsion." Former FIFA Vice President Jim Boyce also predicted, "If the current trend continues, anything could happen."
In fact, ahead of the next presidential election scheduled for March 2027, movements are being detected among member nations seeking to withdraw previously submitted letters of support for In Pan-ti-no (Chairman). 'BBC' highlighted major candidates who could run for president if In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) resigns or fails in his re-election bid.
The most frequently mentioned candidate is Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF. A former president of the Canadian Soccer Association, President Montagliani is highly regarded for his multilingual abilities and excellent football administration skills as the key figure behind the joint hosting of the 2026 North American World Cup.
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the AFC, is also a strong contender. In the 2016 FIFA presidential election, President Salman faced off against In Pan-ti-no (Chairman). He was evaluated as a figure who led the quantitative and qualitative growth of Asian football and has proven his strong political standing by leading the opposition to this sale proposal.
Other potential candidates include Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and chairman of the European Professional Football Clubs (EFC), and FIFA Secretary-General Matthias Grafström. However, it is reported that President Al-Khelaifi's side has indicated no intention to run for office.
The next FIFA president will be finally decided at the 77th FIFA Congress to be held in Morocco in March 2027. The deadline for candidate registration is November 18.
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*This content was translated by AI.
