Overview
- On Wednesday Nov. 11 Sepp Blatter publicly attacked Gianni Infantino, called him a dictator and said UEFA plans to name a rival candidate within days.
- So far only Kozo Tashima has formally filed for the FIFA presidency, but he is not viewed as a realistic threat to the incumbent.
- Arsène Wenger is the most-discussed possible challenger and news agencies report a decision from the 77-year-old is expected before the November 18 candidacy cutoff.
- Infantino has secured pledges of support from associations in Africa, Asia and South America that campaign reporting says could deliver him a majority at the March 18 FIFA Congress in Rabat.
- Blatter proposed curbing presidential powers, urged running FIFA more like a company with a CEO and council, and suggested legal action at the Court of Arbitration for Sport as a possible route to challenge Infantino.