FIFA President seeks path to retain his seat, Vietnam may be among the decisive group

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing the biggest challenge in his ten years at the helm. With established forces applying pressure from all sides, the fate of the top position in global football may hinge on a little-known set of members, among them Vietnam.

The position of FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under significant pressure after UEFA and CONCACAF publicly questioned their confidence in the leadership of the world's most powerful football organization.

The crisis originated from a proposal to bring private capital into World Cup-related commercial activities. Although the plan could not be implemented, the strong reactions from regional confederations have pushed Infantino into an unprecedented difficult situation during his term.

Infantino has confirmed his intention to run for a fourth term at the FIFA Congress next April. However, pressure on the Swiss leader could appear much sooner.

Wales has become the first football association to officially withdraw its support for Infantino. UEFA has also confirmed it is considering legal measures related to the controversial proposal by the FIFA President.

According to regulations, an extraordinary congress can be convened if at least 20% of the total 211 member associations submit a written request. That means only about 43 members need to agree, and a vote that could directly affect Infantino's future may be held.

UEFA currently has 55 member associations. In theory, the European football bloc alone is enough to pressure FIFA into convening an extraordinary congress if it achieves internal unity.

However, convening a vote is one thing; securing enough votes to oust Infantino is a completely different story.

Vietnam's vote equals that of England and France

FIFA's special mechanism stipulates that each member association has one vote, regardless of population size, financial strength, performance, or influence on world football. That means the vote of the Vietnam Football Federation is legally equal to the votes of top football nations such as England, France, Germany, Spain, Argentina, or Brazil.

Vietnam is not a small country in terms of population, but it still belongs to the group of developing football nations, having never participated in the men's World Cup finals and needing many resources to upgrade facilities, youth training, and community football development.

In a power confrontation at FIFA, it is precisely members like Vietnam, Thailand, and even Bhutan, Vanuatu, along with numerous associations in Asia, Africa, and Oceania, that could become the decisive group for the final outcome.

The "Shield" of the FIFA President

This is also the basis for Infantino to believe that he still has a chance to overcome the crisis, even if relations with many traditional football powers have been strained.

In the 2023-2026 World Cup cycle, each FIFA member association can receive up to $3 million for football development projects, an increase of $1 million from the previous cycle. For wealthy professional football nations, this amount is not too large. But for developing associations, it can be a lifeline resource.

Vanuatu is a typical example. The island nation with only about 340,000 people once received $4.15 million in support from FIFA to build a 6,500-seat stadium in the capital Port Vila. The President of the Vanuatu Football Federation, Lambert Maltock, also holds a vice-president seat on the FIFA Council.

Vietnam has not yet taken a stance on the current crisis, and there is no basis to assert that the VFF will support either side if a vote actually takes place. However, the "one member, one vote" mechanism shows that the role of Vietnam and other developing football nations can be much larger than what is demonstrated on the pitch.

When the big powers turn their backs, the future of the FIFA leader may not be decided in London, Paris, or Madrid. Real power could lie in the hands of hundreds of lesser-known associations, where every vote, including Vietnam's, carries equal weight.