Beckham enters UEFA's calculations to threaten Infantino's throne

UEFA is intensifying its search for a consensus candidate to block Gianni Infantino's fourth term as FIFA president.

The newspaper Sport, citing Sky Sport Germany, reported that some parties within UEFA and the German federation have put forward the name of David Beckham, the England legend, as one of the options on the table to take on Infantino.

These moves began with the most recent FIFA Council meeting, which ended in deeply disappointing fashion for Infantino's critics.

UEFA turned up armed with a set of questions on key issues such as commercial rights and television broadcasting rights. Infantino once again dodged direct answers, all while paving his way towards a fourth presidential term.

Time is squeezing the opposing bloc. The official deadline for registering nominations with FIFA expires on 18 November.

German Football Association president Bernd Neuendorf acknowledged as much in exclusive comments to RTL and Sky Sport, saying: "We are sticking to the objective of seeing someone else at the head of FIFA, and that of course requires presenting an alternative candidate."

After the summit that brought together the presidents of the European federations in Berlin, UEFA set out the criteria required to choose the right figure for the post.

Their candidate must be a respected figure enjoying wide acceptance within the world of football, with administrative experience and the ability to build alliances between the continental confederations, alongside a firm commitment to integrity and reform.

One criterion came up again and again in that meeting of federation officials: the candidate must possess the appeal and international presence to compete with the extensive media reach and considerable institutional influence Infantino enjoys.

Among the names doing the rounds in European circles, Beckham's is the most eye-catching and unconventional of the lot.

The former England star brings qualifications you rarely find among the traditional leadership of sports federations. His global fame and financial independence combine with genuine executive influence, which he has demonstrated as a co-owner of Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, the project that was crowned by the signing of Lionel Messi.

His close links to the North American market also make him a suitable bridge between European football and CONCACAF, one of the parties UEFA is seeking to win over in order to build an alternative majority to the pro-Infantino bloc, which maintains its influence in Africa and Asia.

Appealing as the proposal is, pursuing it involves enormous difficulties. Beckham has historically maintained a very close relationship with Infantino himself, and has taken an active part in FIFA's official events and campaigns.