Real Madrid legend in the picture: Infantino faces a secret rival before the FIFA elections
A mysterious candidate at the last moment: what will happen inside FIFA?
Gianni Infantino's hopes of being re-elected president of world football's governing body, FIFA, face the threat of a mystery candidate emerging at the eleventh hour.
Two leading figures have told Britain's "Telegraph Sport" that secret moves are under way behind the scenes in Europe to put forward a credible challenger before the nomination deadline on 18 November.
The name is being kept under tight wraps, according to the British newspaper, to leave Infantino's "FIFA machine" guessing as next month's deadline approaches ahead of the elections in March 2027.
Infantino walked into a crucial meeting with the FIFA Council on Thursday, the first since the ongoing controversy over his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to investors, as well as the scandal involving United States striker Folarin Balogun. Some of those inside the room insisted the Swiss-Italian could ultimately be ousted.
Around 200 of FIFA's 211 member associations had backed his re-election unopposed before the World Cup. That previously untouchable position looked fragile for the first time once his private investment scheme sparked global anger.
Potential opponents have backed off since then. Infantino has moved quickly to shore up his power base in Africa and rally support from other national bodies.
The main rival has announced he does not wish to mount a challenge. That is Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF, the governing body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, who, despite being the first choice of many of Infantino's European opponents, is now focused on being re-elected as president of his own confederation.
Qatar's Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Paris Saint-Germain president, and Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation and one of Infantino's fiercest critics, have also ruled themselves out of standing.
Others have joined the list of candidates: Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan, Arsene Wenger, the former Arsenal manager who currently serves as FIFA's chief of global football development, and Michele Kang, owner of Lyon as well as the London City Lionesses and Washington Spirit women's sides.
Some have expressed admiration for Portugal's Luis Figo, the Real Madrid legend, who publicly called for Infantino's resignation last August.
Those working behind the scenes to rally support for a rival candidate are staying silent about the "unifying" figure they have in mind.
Asked about the identity of this figure, one source told the British newspaper: "The stakes are far too high."
Infantino, who is seeking a fourth and final term, still has other obstacles to overcome. Relations with European football's governing body, UEFA, are extremely strained, with the organisation still preparing for legal action, demanding to see evidence and documents for use in court cases brought against the embattled president in Switzerland.
He once pledged to clean up FIFA after the controversy surrounding his predecessor Sepp Blatter, and he sat on a reform committee that drew up rules obliging FIFA to publish the salaries, bonuses and compensation of its leading figures.
As he arrived at his meeting in Zurich this week, amid allegations that he failed to properly declare a "second salary" worth £1.3 million, rivals remained committed to a fresh clean-up operation. It starts with his removal from office.
