FIFA have thrown their weight behind president Gianni Infantino, insisting in an official statement that any process relating to the elections "must comply with the statutes and its democratic procedures".
Opposition to Infantino is mounting, led by the European federation now seeking to remove him. His controversial decisions and plans have fuelled the backlash, the latest being a project to sell a stake in the World Cup to investors. The FIFA president eventually abandoned that plan under pressure.
British newspaper "Telegraph" recently reported that UEFA granted funds to one of its female employees on the basis of her relationship with Infantino, when he was general secretary of the continental federation.
A FIFA spokesperson responded on Sunday morning in a statement via the international federation's official accounts: "In confirmation of the recent statements issued by CONMEBOL and CAF, as well as discussions with the member associations and continental federations across the world, FIFA will not support, facilitate or tolerate any process relating to the election of a president that does not comply with the federation's statutes, the democratic procedures and the adopted governance framework".
He continued: "The FIFA president was democratically elected by the member associations of the international federation, and he continues to carry out his duties under the mandate granted to him".
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The statement went further: "It is becoming increasingly clear that there are coordinated and ongoing efforts, on the part of some, to undermine FIFA and its president. And those who do not have the support of FIFA's member associations should not attempt to achieve, through claims, insinuations or misleading information, what they cannot achieve through the democratic procedures adopted at FIFA".
He added: "Recent media coverage has included assertions unsupported by evidence, and claims that are clearly false about FIFA and its president. Speculation and insinuation should not be presented as facts, and repeating a claim does not make it true".
"Change challenges established interests"
Defending Infantino, the statement pressed on: "The FIFA president has dedicated more than 30 years of his professional life to European and world football, and has contributed to bringing about major changes in the game, particularly in expanding access to football, resources and opportunities across the world. Change inevitably challenges established interests, but disagreement with this change cannot justify attempts to undermine the democratic mandate of the FIFA president, or the institution he was elected to lead".
He continued: "FIFA welcomes legitimate scrutiny, but scrutiny is not a licence to distort facts, amplify claims unsupported by evidence, or fabricate distractions aimed at undermining progress. And when media coverage is inaccurate or misleading, FIFA will confront it directly and forcefully".
It closed: "FIFA has a responsibility towards our 211 member associations, and towards football around the world. We will not allow our attention to be diverted or our course to be shifted away from strengthening the organisation, providing services to our member associations, and continuing to work to make football truly global. Through the FIFA president and his administration, our focus remains fully on this mission, and we are more determined than ever to carry it out".