Arsène Wenger, the former Arsenal manager, is considering a run in next year's FIFA presidential election, according to British broadcaster BBC.
Wenger, who has spent recent years working within FIFA's football development division, is expected to emerge as one of the challengers to current president Gianni Infantino, who has come under fire following his attempt to sell private stakes in the World Cup.
The deadline for submitting candidacies is 18 November, with the election scheduled for 18 March 2027 at the FIFA Congress in Rabat.
Infantino remains the clear favourite to secure a fourth term, although his failed World Cup initiative has strained his relationships with several football federations, some of which have called for his resignation and expressed a loss of confidence in his leadership.
So far, Swiss former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramón Vega and Kozo Tashima, honorary president of the Japan Football Association, have declared their intention to challenge Infantino.
Despite having long been a loyal supporter of Infantino, Wenger distanced himself from the FIFA president following the World Cup controversy, insisting that he had no involvement in the project.
"The decision to withdraw from this project was absolutely necessary and there were no doubts about it because I firmly believe in an independent FIFA that serves our sport with commitment, transparency and integrity," Wenger said at the time.
During his tenure as FIFA's chief of global football development, Wenger has put forward several proposals, including a new offside rule that would give attackers more freedom and has already been adopted in Canada's league. He has also previously expressed support for holding the World Cup every two years rather than every four.