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European football associations are preparing to withdraw their letters of support for Gianni Infantino's re-election as FIFA president, according to reports, as pressure mounts on the Swiss official to step down.
The move follows the collapse of Infantino's plan to sell portions of the World Cup to private investors.
The scheme was largely halted after UEFA member associations threatened to boycott future FIFA competitions.
National governing bodies across Europe are now discussing a formal withdrawal of their backing in an effort to hasten Infantino's resignation, with announcements expected in the coming days.
Before the crisis, all of UEFA's 55 members except Germany, Romania and Norway had submitted letters endorsing Infantino's candidacy for a fourth term, due to be decided in March
A fourth term had previously been considered a formality, with Infantino having led FIFA since 2016.
Reports indicate that member associations could withdraw their support simultaneously or individually. Either approach would amount to a vote of no confidence, adding to pressure on Infantino to resign. Any country wishing to recall its letter of endorsement must notify FIFA directly.
Discussions are also underway with federations in other regions.
Despite the failure of Infantino's World Cup proposal, several members of the Asian Football Confederation, an organization representing 47 national football associations across Asia, publicly reaffirmed their support over the weekend. Qatar backed Infantino on Saturday, followed by Sri Lanka and Kuwait on Sunday.
Sources within European football have questioned whether these federations are fully aware of the scale of opposition Infantino faces.
The Asian Football Confederation rarely votes as a single bloc, and some of its members dissatisfied with Infantino could still align with the European position.
More than 200 of FIFA's 211 member associations have submitted letters of endorsement for Infantino, according to earlier reporting.
FIFA is said to have applied significant pressure on undecided federations, even though Infantino's position did not appear at risk at the time.
Many associations reportedly backed him despite private reservations about his leadership, but patience has since diminished in Europe and elsewhere.
Efforts continue to identify a potential successor to Infantino. Any candidate would need substantial support from outside Europe, particularly from the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf, the governing body for football across North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Building rapid consensus around a viable alternative is seen as important in convincing Infantino that his position has become untenable.
Infantino is reported to be determined to remain in office and is said to be lobbying individual member associations worldwide to retain their support.
The Confederation of African Football and Conmebol, the South American football confederation, remain fully behind Infantino, leaving Asia and North America as the key regions where UEFA members are seeking to build opposition to his continued leadership.
The dispute marks one of the most serious internal challenges FIFA has faced during Infantino's tenure, with the outcome expected to shape the direction of the organization ahead of next year's presidential vote.
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