Infantino lines up 4th FIFA term with backing from 200-plus members
What's new: Gianni Infantino faces no serious challenger ahead of the March vote, despite criticism over FIFA controversies and governance.
Gianni Infantino is on course to win a fourth term as FIFA president after more than 200 of the governing body's 211 member associations sent letters backing his candidacy for the March election, according to The Guardian. The support leaves only a small number of national federations yet to declare, with Germany among the most prominent holdouts. Infantino has led FIFA for a decade since taking over after the corruption crisis that ended Sepp Blatter's presidency. During that span, FIFA expanded the men's World Cup to 48 teams and is projecting record revenue of $13 billion for the current three-year cycle, even as Infantino has drawn criticism over governance fights, relations with UEFA and players' unions, and a shelved plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions.