Infantino claims support of 'vast majority' of soccer ahead of FIFA elections
Infantino is close to the votes he needs
FIFA President Gianni Infantino says he has the backing of the “vast, vast majority” of world soccer as he seeks a fourth term in office. The election is scheduled for March 18, 2027, at the FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco.
FIFA has 211 member associations. A candidate needs 106 votes to win. An Associated Press tally found that 87 federations had publicly indicated support for Infantino, either directly or through their regional confederations. That puts him within reach, but it does not settle the election.
The ballot is secret. Public support can change. A confirmed challenger has not emerged, and candidates have until November 18, 2026, to come forward.
Why the FIFA dispute is making headlines
Infantino’s position took a hit after a plan to sell stakes in World Cup-related assets failed. Critics questioned the proposal and FIFA’s direction under his leadership. France’s football federation withdrew its support in September, saying trust had been broken.
Infantino has answered with a different message. He says the wider soccer community still backs him. The Asian Football Confederation gave him public support on October 23, while the Confederation of African Football has backed him through its 54 member associations.
Those numbers matter in an election. Africa has 54 votes, Asia has 46, UEFA has 55, Concacaf has 35, Oceania has 11, and South America has 10. But a regional endorsement is not the same as 211 identical ballots on election day.
The exact final vote count remains unclear.
What this means for a small business
For most companies, nothing changes. This is not a new ransomware threat, a Microsoft licensing change, or a reason to replace office computers. A 30-person firm in San Diego County does not need to alter its firewall because FIFA’s president is facing criticism.
The story matters only if your company has a direct connection to FIFA. That could include sponsorships, sports marketing, hospitality packages, licensing agreements, event staffing, travel services, or contracts tied to a World Cup program. In those cases, leadership changes can affect approval processes, commercial priorities, partner relationships, and event planning.
Even then, we would not make a technology purchase based on headlines. We would review the contract, identify the systems that support the relationship, and check who owns the data if the partnership changes.
What we would check before spending money
We would start with the business dependency, not the political story. Which revenue, customer records, invoices, or operational tasks depend on the FIFA relationship? Are those records stored in Microsoft 365, a customer relationship system, a shared drive, or a vendor portal?
Then we would confirm that the company can keep working if a partner changes its portal, contact list, branding requirements, or access rules. That means tested backups, separate administrator accounts, current software updates, and a written list of critical vendors. Basic work. Useful work.
If outside partners have access to company systems, we would review those accounts now. Remove old users. Reduce permissions where possible. Require multifactor authentication. Set a reminder to review access after the March 2027 election and again whenever a major contract changes.
We would also avoid building a custom system around an uncertain relationship. Keep exports of important data in a usable format. Document how staff complete the work. Make sure another employee can handle the process if a contact or vendor disappears.
Do not confuse a loud story with an IT priority
Infantino may have a strong path to re-election. The 87 public expressions of support, along with backing from Africa and Asia, give him a serious advantage. Still, the vote is months away, the ballot is secret, and the challenger field is unsettled.
That is a governance story, not a technology emergency. If FIFA touches your revenue, review your contracts and access controls. If it does not, spend the budget on the risks already inside your business.
Make a list of systems tied to any FIFA-related customer or supplier, then ask IT911Now to review the access, backup, and continuity risks before the November 18 candidacy deadline.