The row between European football's governing body, UEFA, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino is escalating. At the heart of it lies a plan to create a FIFA-owned commercial company that would organise the World Cup, then sell some of that company's shares to investors. European football's leaders have responded by hunting for a candidate capable of challenging the Swiss president at the FIFA presidential elections in March 2027, and the name of Nasser Al-Khelaifi has emerged as one of the options on the table.
France's RMC network report that a number of UEFA officials view the Paris Saint-Germain president and president of the European Football Clubs (EFC) association as a strong candidate to take on Infantino.
The current signs, though, point the other way. One of those close to the Qatari official has confirmed he has no ambition or intention of taking on the FIFA presidency.
The source close to the Paris Saint-Germain president said: "Nasser has absolutely no ambition, intention or interest in this position at FIFA, and he will continue to support all global and European football institutions quietly."
Why does UEFA see Al-Khelaifi as a potential candidate?
His reluctance is on the record. Even so, Nasser Al-Khelaifi ticks plenty of boxes that make him a credible contender, according to a number of European football officials.
He presides over Paris Saint-Germain, Champions League winners in each of the last two seasons. He also holds the post of president of the European Football Clubs association, the body leading the opposition to FIFA's plan to sell stakes in the new commercial company and the World Cup to investors.
Qatar's standing in world football gives Al-Khelaifi a wide network of relationships across Asia. Add his considerable media experience as president of the beIN Media Group, and some UEFA officials believe he holds a complete portfolio to challenge Infantino.
One of those close to Al-Khelaifi had earlier dismissed the talk of a FIFA presidential bid as mere "media noise", insisting the Paris Saint-Germain president is not considering such a move.
Infantino the favourite in the 2027 elections
European pressure or not, Gianni Infantino remains the frontrunner to keep his job at the March 2027 elections. He has spent around 10 years at the head of FIFA.
Across his two terms, the Swiss president has driven FIFA's revenues up sharply. That has allowed the governing body to hand more money to national federations, winning him broad support among a large number of the international federation's members.
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Infantino has already locked down the backing of a number of African, Asian and South American federations as part of his preparations for the vote.
Al-Khelaifi could count on potential support from the majority of the 55 European federations if he stands. His path to the FIFA presidency would still be far from easy, as he would need to convince a large number of the 211 member federations around the world.
His entry into the race could also trigger a long electoral campaign, one that may reopen many controversial files linked to the candidates. That makes the decision to stand a step fraught with challenges.