European soccer leaders consider al-Khelaifi as potential FIFA challenger

European soccer officials are exploring the candidacy of Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi for the FIFA presidency election set for March 2027. This comes in response to backlash against Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. UEFA plans an emergency meeting with its national federations, and there are discussions of a potential boycott of the upcoming World Cup. FIFA has proposed a plan to create a new company managing its competitions, which would involve selling a 20 percent stake to private investors, further fueling the controversy and prompting European leaders to rally around al-Khelaifi as a contender. A representative for al-Khelaifi has stated that he has no interest in the FIFA role, although discussions about his candidacy persist.

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