Why UEFA’s preferred candidate for FIFA President to replace Gianni Infantino won’t run

UEFA was reportedly eyeing Qatar's Nasser Al-Khelaifi to be their preferred potential replacement for Gianni Infantino as FIFA President, but it likely won't happen.

The house Infantino built at FIFA appears to be crumbling after his failed attempt at selling private stakes in the FIFA World Cup led to condemnation from multiple major confederations, mainly UEFA.

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UEFA was reportedly eyeing PSG President and chairman of beIN Media as a rival to Infantino for the seat of FIFA President, but those plans have likely been scuppered.

Qatar's endorsement of Gianni Infantino likely rules out UEFA's preferred replacement

Amid various national football associations speaking up against Infantino, as the President's closest aides started resigning, the Qatar FA has stated its support for Infantino, welcoming the decision to withdraw his privatization plans while reiterating its support for Infantino.

UEFA is reportedly looking to oust Infantino from his position with a no-confidence motion months before the March 2027 elections.

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Infantino has strong blocs of support across FIFA's member states, so there would be few credible people who could replace Infantino and appease the global bloc.

If the Qatar FA released a statement of support for Infantino at such a time, it's clear they're still behind the incumbent President.

Al-Khelaifi is the chairman of the beIN Media Group and Qatar Sports Investments, both state-funded organizations, and is a minister in the Qatari government.

While Qatar could decide to support one of its own for the position of FIFA President, its statement of support for Infantino essentially rules out Al-Khelaifi as a threat to Infantino's seat.

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If UEFA succeeds in ousting Infantino from power, Al-Khelaifi could rise into the power vacuum.

But he likely won't stand as a challenger in a FIFA election and won't play a part in helping Infantino's removal from power.

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