Gianni Infantino is facing his first serious challenger for the FIFA presidency after Japanese football chief Kohzo Tashima announced his intention to stand in March's election.
Tashima, a member of the FIFA Council and honorary president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), will have the backing of his national association and is expected to secure the five endorsements required to become an official candidate.
UEFA is working to prevent Infantino from securing another term and is expected to overwhelmingly back Tashima if he emerges as the incumbent's only challenger.
In that scenario, the Japanese could also attract support from anti-Infantino factions within the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CONCACAF.
The AFC's position remains significant, with president Sheikh Salman having performed a U-turn to back Infantino at the confederation's Congress two weeks ago.
FIFA's 211 member associations will vote in the election, with a candidate requiring at least 106 votes to win. The deadline for candidates to declare their intention to stand is November 18.
Tashima is a former Japan international who went on to coach the country's Under-17 and Under-20 national teams before moving into football administration.
He has held several senior positions within the JFA, including general secretary, vice-president and president, and has also served on the AFC's executive committee.
Can Tashima beat Infantino and could Wenger enter the race?
Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol:
"Kozo Tashima certainly gives Gianni Infantino something to worry about. I think Infantino would much prefer to stand unopposed.
"Having said that, I'm not sure whether Tashima will get the support he needs to beat Infantino.
"You have to remember how FIFA's presidential election works. FIFA has 211 members, and each national association has one vote. So you need the backing of 106 FAs to win.
"Now, I think Tashima, if he is Infantino's only challenger, will have the overwhelming backing of Europe. He can count on almost all of UEFA's 55 votes.
"He'll also pick up some votes in Asia, even though the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), his own confederation, has backed Infantino. Its president, Sheikh Salman, performed a U-turn two weeks ago. Originally, he was anti-Infantino, but at the confederation's Congress he announced they would back the FIFA president.
"But that doesn't mean all of Asia are going to support Infantino. So I think Tashima can pick up some support there as well. He can also attract backing in CONCACAF, across North and Central America, and perhaps a few votes in the Caribbean. Can he get to 106? I'm not so sure.
"What we need to look out for over the next two weeks is whether anybody else emerges.
"There's been lots of talk about Arsene Wenger potentially entering the race. He's a legendary figure in football, somebody who, of course, used to manage Arsenal. At the moment, he's FIFA's chief of global football development.
"I think if he were to come out and stand, that would make real, real headlines. That would be front-page news.
"I'm not sure if he'd have the numbers to beat Infantino either, but I think he would have a good chance, especially because lots of things can happen in FIFA presidential elections.
"For instance, when Infantino first won the presidency 10 years ago, he was not the favourite. He wasn't even supposed to be a candidate. The only reason he entered the race was that Michel Platini had to drop out.
"So lots of things can change. At the moment, it looks like Infantino is the favourite, despite all the controversies and scandals. But watch this space, because sometimes FIFA presidential elections can be very, very exciting."