Despite the fierce backlash caused by his failed plan to sell commercial stakes in the World Cup to private sector investors, FIFA president Gianni Infantino looks set to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term next year. But could there be a surprise in store?
Leading figures in European football have told "BBC Sport" that they want former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to stand as a surprise candidate.
Would the man who has served as the governing body's chief of global football development since 2019 really challenge his boss? And what lies behind the support he is receiving?
The FIFA Council meets today, Thursday, for the first time since the emergence of Infantino's "FIFA Forward Enterprise" (FFE) scheme, which plunged the organisation into crisis and prompted calls from game leaders in Europe, North America and Asia for him to resign.
A defiant Infantino will come face to face with some of his fiercest critics in what could be a tense gathering in Zurich.
FIFA are preparing to propose a 3.4 billion dollar (2.6 billion pound) increase in their football development allocations.
Infantino will also face scrutiny over governance reforms, the English Football Association, the awarding of the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize last year to US President Donald Trump, and disciplinary proceedings in the wake of the case involving United States striker Folarin Balogun.
The meeting will also lay bare the failure so far to find a unifying figure with global appeal to challenge Infantino.
Potential rivals such as Victor Montagliani, president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin have ruled themselves out, and Infantino has been busy on a world tour to strengthen his position.
Expectation is growing that, given the support he enjoys in his power base in Africa, South America and Oceania, he will return to his post, even though only around half of FIFA's 211 members back him.
Only one man has declared an intention to stand so far: former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega. Very few rate his chances. So could Wenger be the answer?
In Zurich, there are no indications that Wenger is planning to run for the FIFA presidency, and he joined Infantino and other FIFA Council members for dinner at a restaurant in the city. As a senior member of the FIFA management team, he will also attend Thursday's meeting.
Asked about his intentions by BBC Sport via FIFA, he made no comment.
Those close to the 76-year-old, who left Arsenal in 2018 after 22 years during which he became the most successful manager in the club's history, will not say whether he is interested.
One of them told BBC Sport he would be "a perfect candidate, but it is his decision". A high-ranking FIFA official insisted he did not know whether Wenger had considered the matter.
He has supporters, though, and they believe he commands a level of respect outside Europe that is essential if the UEFA-led revolt against Infantino is to have any chance of success.
A senior official at a European national association told "BBC Sport": "He is a brilliant football man who really understands the development of football because he ran it himself."
He continued: "People do not see him as just a European, he is held in great respect in Asia, for example, thanks to his spell working in Japan, and many say he is the ideal candidate. As for him, it is not about money or status or ego. He genuinely loves the game."
"He has performed a difficult role successfully and he understands FIFA, which is why he would be a really good candidate," he went on. "That said, he is in an extremely difficult position."
That much became clear amid the fallout from the FFE affair, when Wenger, traditionally loyal to Infantino, distanced himself from the plot that failed.
"I was not involved in this strategic plan, and I first learned of the project through media reports," Wenger said in a statement at the time.
He added: "The decision to withdraw the project was absolutely necessary and beyond dispute, because I believe firmly in an independent FIFA that serves our sport with commitment, transparency and integrity."
Some might have expected Wenger to walk over the affair, given his veiled criticism of Infantino, his being kept out of the loop, and the condemnation of the scheme by various stakeholders in football. He stayed put. In his role he oversees the development of young talent in academies in 60 countries, as well as youth competitions around the world, and he is also a technical adviser to the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body responsible for setting the rules.
Wenger has at times stirred controversy in his FIFA role, particularly through proposals such as World Cup tournaments held every two years and the idea of a "clear" offside law.
His global standing counts for plenty, including in Africa, where Infantino recently received a major boost to his re-election bid when he secured the backing of all 54 member national associations after promising increased funding.
Wenger was renowned for his support of African players when he was in charge of Arsenal, and his backing for an expanded 48-team World Cup aimed at driving development in countries beyond the game's traditional powers has gone down very well on the continent.
He was in Cape Verde at the weekend to attend the Confederation of African Football congress, telling delegates: "We want to see an African team win the World Cup, and the numbers show that it is possible."
BBC Sport has been told that a large number of FIFA staff would also like Wenger to take the post, believing he is capable of changing the organisation's image.
Others are more sceptical. One influential figure in FIFA circles told BBC Sport: "I would be astonished if Wenger rose up against the man who appointed him in the first place. Arsene has put forward some unconventional ideas. But when it comes to running the game and relationships at a political level, and in those places where you need to control and direct power, I am not sure he is the right man for that."
Another senior European official said: "He has a distinguished standing, but I am not sure he represents the future of the team. Perhaps one term would be enough for him to bring in reforms. He is held in great respect in the football world and he has done a good job on the development programmes, but I do not know whether he will break away from Gianni or not."
Should Wenger wish to stand, he has until 18 November to declare his candidacy, and he would need to be nominated by at least five national associations.
As a manager he was a legend who changed English football with his forward-thinking approach to tactics and nutrition. Could he now try to force through a radical change of a different kind at FIFA?