The backlash has left the FIFA president facing mounting political pressure just months before the governing body’s presidential election, raising fresh questions over whether he will face a serious challenger for the first time in nearly a decade. Although FIFA abandoned the plan only days after unveiling it, criticism has continued, with some football leaders calling for Infantino to step aside. A long-time FIFA vice-president and previously regarded as a close ally of Infantino, Montagliani has distanced himself from the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal. So far, only Wales, Finland, Sweden and Serbia have publicly withdrawn their support for Infantino, while Morocco has remained among the few national associations to openly back the FIFA president. For now, Infantino remains in office, but the political landscape inside world football appears more uncertain than at any point since he first became FIFA president in 2016.