UEFA Nears Infantino Challenger

UEFA is on the brink of naming a challenger for Gianni Infantino, with the identity likely set by next week. The deadline for any nominee to confirm is 18 November, but the March election looms fast. A recent U-turn by Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa, now backing Infantino, rattled the opposition. Potential nominees, including former Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger, are being eyed, though Wenger himself is unlikely to run. Even with a candidate, they need a 106-vote majority, pulling Asia, Concacaf and Africa to counter a shaky European bloc. UEFA's legal push-filing in four U.S. courts for FFE documents and a Swiss criminal complaint-could eclipse any election drama. The U.S. midterms and a potential Democrat takeover of the House may give Infantino's opponents fresh leverage. With the March election looming, the period before 18 November is critical for UEFA's president Aleksander Ceferin to cement credibility. If UEFA finalizes a challenger before the deadline, it will force Infantino into a battle he's fighting through political storms.