Victor Montagliani (Concacaf president) – Elected in 2016 on a platform of governance reform. A former Canada Soccer president, he co-chaired the run-up to and staging of the 2026 World Cup, the first shared by three host nations. He speaks French, Italian, Spanish, and English. – Explaining his bid for the Concacaf role, he said he self-funded a three-month campaign, visiting all 41 member associations, from the United States to Bonaire. – He led Concacaf’s hosting of an expanded Copa América in 2024 and told BBC Sport it shouldn’t become a regular fixture. Politically astute, he helped defuse tensions around Arsène Wenger’s push for a biennial World Cup and has remained unconvinced by a 64-team tournament. – At the 2025 Leaders conference, he argued football can weather political turbulence, saying the sport transcends individual leaders and nations, even if it brings challenges.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (AFC president) – First elected in 2013 and returned unopposed for a fourth term running through 2027. – Under his leadership, the AFC has grown through the Champions League Elite, Champions League Two, the Challenge League, and the launch of a Women’s Champions League in 2024–25. The Asian Cup has expanded to 24 teams. – He approved a scathing assessment of Infantino’s management of FIFA and has kept the 46-member confederation aligned, even as many acknowledge the sums promised under Infantino’s proposals would be enormous relative to their football budgets.