Beckham, who was once a huge fan in the football world, faced perhaps the most unexpected transformation of his career: from a football superstar to the Lists of presidents of FIFA.
According to foreign media reports such as German Sky Sports, as the Lists of presidents of FIFA election approaches, European football circles are actively looking for candidates who can challenge the current president, Infantino. The name of David Beckham, a legend of English football, has already appeared on the list of potential candidates.
Why has Beckham become a hot candidate?
Beckham, now 51 years old, has successfully transformed after retirement into a football investor and club operator, becoming a co-owner of the U.S. professional football major league Miami International Club, and pushing Messi to join, allowing this club to quickly gain global attention.
In the eyes of some in European football, Beckham has advantages that traditional football managers find hard to match: global fame, powerful business resources, and extensive connections across Europe, North America, and Asia. In particular, Beckham is highly regarded in Asia as well, thanks to his many visits to China; for example, since March 2013, he has been an image ambassador for Chinese youth football and top professional leagues. More importantly, his star status may help the FIFA improve its controversial public image in recent years.
Moreover, this British idol had publicly criticized the FIFA as early as 2015, calling its corruption scandals “disgusting.” As a billionaire, he would not be suspected of trying to enrich his own pockets at the expense of the FIFA‘s interests—more importantly, he could perfectly well finance a campaign targeting Infantino.
However, there is currently no news indicating that Beckham himself has decided to run, nor is there any evidence that he has received sufficient official nomination support.
Why did Infantino face opposition?
In July this year, the FIFA proposed establishing a business entity valued at about $20 billion, with plans to sell up to 20% of its equity to external investors to raise funds to support global football development, a proposal that immediately sparked huge controversy.
Organizations such as the European Football League are concerned that the FIFA is further capitalizing the commercial interests of core events such as the World Cup, while questioning the lack of transparency in related decisions. Faced with opposition, the FIFA ultimately withdrew the related plans.
Inventino apologized at the FIFA board meeting on October 15 for the communication issues, but failed to quell criticism. Neuendorf, the president of the German Football Association, made it clear that he wanted the FIFA led by someone else.
Currently, Infantino has announced that he is seeking a 2027 reelection, while some European football powers are hoping to combine with football organizations from other continents to launch a competitive challenger.
In fact, Beckham is not the only name that has attracted attention. According to the BBC, Wenger, who has long coached Arsenal and currently serves as the head of FIFA‘s global football development, has also received support from some European football executives.
But both Beckham and Wenger faced the same reality problem: the election to the Lists of presidents of FIFA was not a celebrity competition for fame.
Candidates need to obtain the formal nomination of at least five member associations and win support from different continents. Although Incantino is increasingly questioned in Europe, he still has strong support from football organizations in regions such as Africa.
Can football superstars rewrite the power structure of the FIFA?
The next Lists of presidents of FIFA election is scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco, with a deadline for nomination on November 18, this year. This means that the opposition to Infantino has only about a month left to find and promote someone who can actually run. Whether Beckham will ultimately accept the challenge remains unknown.
Sources Comprehensive? German Aerospace