UEFA Gathers in Berlin to Plot Challenge Against FIFA President Gianni Infantino

European football's governing body is moving closer to a full-scale confrontation with FIFA, as its leadership convenes in Berlin this week to map out a path toward unseating Gianni Infantino from the presidency of world football's ruling organisation.

UEFA has summoned its 55 national member federations to a long-scheduled summit on Thursday, but the meeting now carries far greater significance than its original agenda suggested. With the next FIFA presidential election set for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco, European officials face a shrinking window to identify a credible challenger and build an international coalition capable of ending Infantino's decade-long tenure.

The gathering follows months of mounting friction between UEFA and FIFA, centred largely on Infantino's aborted proposal to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors. That plan collapsed within days of becoming public in July, but the episode crystallised long-simmering European suspicions about the direction Infantino has taken FIFA since first winning the presidency in 2016.

UEFA's frustration is not limited to the failed investment scheme. The organisation has signalled that it is preparing a criminal complaint in Switzerland against Infantino, alleging possible financial mismanagement linked to the World Cup sell-off proposal. In a further escalation, UEFA has petitioned courts in the United States to authorise the discovery of FIFA documents that could support a criminal case.

The depth of European dissatisfaction was captured by UEFA general-secretary Theodore Theodoridis, who said last month that "somewhere along the way things went too far with FIFA, and we're looking to put things back where they belong." The remark underscored a broader argument inside UEFA that Infantino has concentrated power in his own office and eroded the checks and balances that historically governed the world body.

The timing of the Berlin meeting reflects the urgency of the electoral calendar. Any candidate seeking to challenge Infantino must formally enter the race by November 18, giving UEFA and its allies roughly six weeks to settle on a name. That deadline has intensified internal debate over who could realistically mount a competitive campaign.

Europe's 55 federations represent more than a quarter of FIFA's 211 voting members, a substantial but insufficient bloc on its own. Research by The Associated Press indicates that Infantino already has roughly 90 votes pledged, although those commitments were gathered before any opponent had been identified. That head start complicates UEFA's arithmetic considerably.

European unity is also far from guaranteed. Infantino has secured pledges of support from Azerbaijan, the home country of a close aide, and from Latvia, demonstrating that his influence reaches inside UEFA's own membership. On Wednesday, the FIFA president was in Prague meeting with football and government officials in the Czech Republic, a visible reminder that he is actively courting federations while his opponents organise.

The question of who might actually run against Infantino remains unresolved. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin joined his fellow FIFA vice presidents from Asia and North America in August in publicly accusing Infantino of deception and breach of trust over the World Cup investment plan. Yet none of those three figures currently appears likely to appear on the ballot.

Ceferin has consistently rejected suggestions that he might seek the FIFA presidency himself, though he acknowledged last month at UEFA meetings in Greece that there were "many, many" potential candidates in the frame. His counterpart at CONCACAF, Victor Montagliani of Canada, is expected to concentrate on his own re-election at the confederation in February rather than pursue the global role.

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, who leads the Asian Football Confederation, represents perhaps the most experienced potential challenger. He previously stood against Infantino in the 2016 election, entering that five-man contest as the favourite before ultimately losing. His history in FIFA politics gives him name recognition, but also a track record that opponents could exploit.

Speculation has repeatedly focused on Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Paris Saint-Germain president and a close ally of Ceferin. As a Qatari member of UEFA's executive committee and head of the influential European Club Association, Al-Khelaifi would bring considerable resources and connections to any campaign. However, he ruled himself out of the running last week during a meeting of the club group he leads.

Thursday's meeting in Berlin is formally a biennial business gathering for senior executives from UEFA's member federations, where policy, strategy and international competition matters are debated. But the discussion is expected to centre on proposals for a more transparent FIFA and on identifying a presidential candidate willing to commit to reform.

For UEFA, the challenge is twofold: finding a figure with enough international appeal to peel support away from Infantino, and persuading federations outside Europe that a change in leadership would serve their interests. The months ahead will test whether European football's traditional influence can still shape the global game's governance, or whether Infantino's grip on the organisation has become too firm to break.