Gianni Infantino remains firmly in control of FIFA heading into late 2026, with his re-election bid for a 2027-2031 term proceeding despite vocal opposition from UEFA and select European federations over the abandoned private-equity plan for World Cup stakes. He has secured backing from senior FIFA executives, apologized for governance missteps, and signaled willingness to increase distributions from reserves to the 211 member associations that control presidential votes. With the candidate deadline still weeks away in November and no declared challenger yet able to rally a majority, Infantino’s established support among confederations outside Europe continues to anchor expectations he will serve through year-end.