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Canadian businessman could become next FIFA president: report

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Jul 31 2026, 6:17 pm
Canadian businessman could become next FIFA president: report
Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images

Gianni Infantino’s lengthy stint as FIFA’s president could soon be coming to an end.

This all comes following Infantino’s plan to effectively sell shares in future World Cups to private investors. That plan has drawn plenty of scrutiny, with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) threatening to boycott the FIFA World Cup should the plan go through.

In a new report from Rob Harris of Sky News, there is a “growing belief” that Infantino will not be able to survive this latest controversy. Should that turn out to be the case, there is a Canadian who could step in as his successor.

As per Harris, Victor Montagliani, who serves as the president of CONCACAF, is considered a potential option to take over for Infantino. The 60-year-old has served as the president of CONCACAF for 10 years, having first taken the position on May 12, 2016.

Meanwhile, Pete Hall of The i Paper reports Montagliani is indeed preparing to run against Infantino for the FIFA presidency.

“Two sources close to the matter have told The i Paper that Canadian Montagliani – president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean association (Concacaf) – is set to challenge Infantino in the elections next March,” Hall wrote.

Before serving as the president of CONCACAF, Montagliani was the president of the Canadian Soccer Association, and played a big part in creating the Canadian Premier League. He was also one of the first to propose that Canada bid as a host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Bailey Holiver/Imagn Images

Along with the UEFA, both CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have unanimously rejected Infantino’s plan.

Other names to keep an eye on when it comes to challenging Infantino’s presidency include Aleksander ÄŚeferin, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and Dariusz Mioduski.

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