UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said Sunday he would not challenge FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who in turn, cast himself as a champion of smaller footballing nations in his bid for another term.
Nearly four weeks after Infantino dropped his controversial plan to hand 20% of a new FIFA commercial rights entity over to private investors, the fight over who controls the future of world football remains fierce.
European governing body UEFA, backed by the regional blocs for Asia (AFC) and North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), has led the opposition and Ceferin suggested that Infantino should stand down.
During an appearance on the "The Rest Is Politics: Leading" podcast, he explained that the choice comes down to two options.
"One option is that he realizes that he doesn't have the support, and that's not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches."
"And the second option that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case, I think he will have a candidate against him. I don't know yet who," Ceferin said.
Familiar sources reported last week that UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF were considering a third option, a vote of no confidence in Infantino ahead of the ballot in March next year.
The Slovenian leader confirmed he hasn't been in touch with Infantino since the dispute broke out, believing his lack of ambition to replace the Swiss official makes his critique more objective.
Ceferin said the proposal was a greater threat to the sport than the European Super League plan that UEFA successfully fought in 2021, and said opposition was not just from Europe's bigger nations.
"On one side was England, Germany, who you understand don't want that, because this money is not so big for them. But on the other side was San Marino ... Liechtenstein, 'We are not for sale,' they said" Ceferin added.
Infantino has shown no intention of leaving the post he has held since 2016, signaling that he will rely on support from less wealthy national associations in his bid for reelection through 2031.
In a video interview released by FIFA after meeting with Caribbean Football Union (CFU) members in the Dominican Republic over the weekend, Infantino said FIFA has a responsibility to narrow the gap between wealthier and poorer associations.
"We want to grow football in every one of our 211 countries in the world," he said.
"We need to find investments for all the others, opportunities for all the others. This is about, indeed, finding and giving opportunities, access, and resources to world football."
"Some, unfortunately, don't need and they don't want that others grow, but we need to narrow this gap between the big, big countries and all the others."
"That's what we have been trying to do in the last 10 years and also in the last 10 weeks, and what we will be continuing to do in the next years."
With backing from South American and African blocs, Infantino has sought to marginalize the confederations by appealing straight to individual member countries throughout the crisis
CFU forms part of CONCACAF and Infantino said he had been very happy with how he had been received on the sidelines of an under-14 tournament in the Dominican Republic.
CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani had asked Infantino to stay away from the tournament, saying his presence would overshadow the football.
Infantino pointed to the tournament, funded by FIFA development money, as proof of the progress made under his leadership.
Meanwhile, six Nordic members, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands, met in Helsinki Sunday and released a joint statement demanding his resignation.
On his podcast appearance, Ceferin rejected claims that Europe was undermining support for poorer football nations and pushed back against attempts to paint UEFA as an entitled elite.
"What I hear is that they play on, you know, arrogant Europe is against us," he said. "But I think someone should remind him (Infantino) that he is a European and that he was supported by UEFA, which he forgot."
