Gianni Infantino is facing increasing pressure over his role as Fifa’s president, after he attempted to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
On Monday, Wales became the first nation to withdraw support for his re-election bid, which is scheduled to happen in March.
The English Football Association is also understood to have written to Fifa, making it clear it no longer supports Infantino.
Meanwhile, a number of African and Asian FAs issued statements of support over the weekend, including those from Morocco, Egypt and Qatar.
So could Gianni Infantino be removed from his role? And what would that process look like? ITV News explains.
Could Infantino be sacked as Fifa president?
It is possible to trigger a vote of no confidence in Infantino, but it would require 43 out of the 211 member associations to call for this.
This would lead to the convening of the Extraordinary Fifa Congress, which often handles more urgent decisions like leadership elections.
A new and credible candidate would need to be named by November 18, four months ahead of the vote in Rabat, Morocco, where FIFA has its African headquarters.
However, no candidate has yet come forward.
Another way Infantino could be unseated is by losing the next presidential contest.
It would take 106 votes to ensure a majority in a contested election.
Infantino was reelected unopposed in 2019 and 2023. Under the current Fifa Statutes, he is allowed one more four-year term as president.
How is the president elected?
The Fifa president is elected through a secret ballot, where all 211 member associations cast a vote.
Each candidate needs to be nominated by at least one member, to have played an active role in a football association in two of the last five years, and must pass Fifa’s eligibility checks.
There will then be rounds of voting until one candidate holds a majority. If a candidate receives more than two-thirds of the vote in the first round, they will become the next president.
If only one candidate stands, they can be elected without a formal secret ballot.
Has a president been unseated before?
Sir Stanley Rous, former secretary of the English FA, was the last incumbent president to be unseated in an election in 1974.
He was succeeded by Brazil’s Joao Havelange, who became the second-longest-serving Fifa president in history.
Who could replace Infantino?
Sources have indicated to the Press Association that CONCACAF’s president Victor Montagliani, a current FIFA vice-president, would be prepared to run for football’s top position.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Nasser Al-Khelaifi has also been named as a potential candidate.
Al-Khelaifi was a member of the organising committee for the World Cup, and has been a member of UEFA’s Executive Committee for seven years.
Also considered a potential challenger is Mattias Grafstrom, the General Secretary of Fifa.
He already works closely with Infantino and has been a member of the Fifa Council since 2019.
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