Gianni Infantino's grip on the Fifa presidency is under genuine threat after European countries began planning a mass withdrawal of their backing for his re-election bid, according to The Guardian.

The crisis was triggered by the collapse of a privately backed scheme to sell off stakes in the World Cup — a proposal Infantino framed as a push to "democratise" the tournament by broadening access to it (Reuters). The plan was scrapped on 1 August after Uefa's 55 member associations voted unanimously to boycott future Fifa competitions in protest (CNN). Uefa and Concacaf — the confederation covering North and Central America and the Caribbean — then declared they had lost confidence in Infantino (Reuters).

Now the fallout is reaching the ballot box. European national governing bodies are discussing the formal withdrawal of their support letters, with announcements likely in the coming days. A simultaneous withdrawal has been mooted, but associations could also peel away one by one. Either way, any country wishing to pull its letter must formally notify Fifa.

Before the crisis, the picture looked very different. More than 200 of Fifa's 211 member associations had submitted endorsement letters for Infantino's bid for a fourth term in March's election. Of Uefa's 55 members, only Germany, Romania and Norway had declined to back him. Fifa is understood to have applied heavy pressure on wavering members to provide their letters.

The clock matters here. Candidates for the presidency must be put forward by 18 November, and before that deadline, letters of support can be withdrawn or switched to a different contender. Efforts to identify a challenger are being stepped up, though any credible candidate would need backing from outside Europe — particularly from the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf.

Infantino still has powerful allies. The Confederation of African Football and South America's Conmebol remain fully behind him. Qatar publicly restated its support on Saturday, with Sri Lanka and Kuwait following on Sunday. Infantino is also believed to be lobbying individual associations worldwide to hold their line.

For fans, this is a power struggle with real consequences. The World Cup is football's crown jewel — the idea of selling pieces of it to private investors alarmed associations and supporters' groups alike. The fight over who runs the global game has never been just about one man. It is about who controls the sport's biggest tournament, and on what terms. With Europe mobilising against an incumbent who once looked untouchable, the next few months could reshape the top of world football.