UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out of the race to replace Gianni Infantino as FIFA president, but says he expects the incumbent to face a challenger at next year’s election.
Infantino has come under increasing pressure following the collapse of his controversial proposal to create a new commercial company to manage FIFA’s tournament and ticketing rights, with part of the business earmarked for private investors. The plan was withdrawn after widespread opposition from football associations and confederations.
UEFA led much of the opposition to the proposal, with European football’s governing body saying it had lost confidence in Infantino. Several national associations have also withdrawn their support for the FIFA president, intensifying the political battle ahead of the March 2027 election.
Ceferin, who had been widely regarded as one of the strongest potential challengers to Infantino, confirmed that he will not seek the FIFA presidency.
“I’m not interested because of two reasons,” Ceferin said. “One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point, it’s time to also enjoy life a bit.”
He also argued that staying out of the race strengthens his position as a critic of Infantino.
“My credibility is much, much higher if I’m not interested in the position,” he said.
Infantino faces uncertain future
Despite ruling himself out, Ceferin believes Infantino’s position has become vulnerable following the backlash over the abandoned investment plan.
The UEFA President said Infantino now faces two possible outcomes: either he recognises that he no longer has sufficient support and steps aside, or he contests the election and faces an opposition candidate.
“One option is that he realises that he doesn’t have the support,” Ceferin said, referring not only to voting associations but also to fans, players, former players and coaches.
“And the second option that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case, I think he will have a candidate against him. I don’t know yet who.”
FIFA has set 18 November as the deadline for challengers to formally submit their nominations. Infantino has already announced that he intends to seek re-election for another term.
Battle over FIFA’s direction
The dispute stems from Infantino’s proposal for FIFA Forward Enterprise, which would have created a new commercial entity responsible for FIFA’s tournament rights, with private investors taking a stake.
The plan triggered strong opposition from UEFA and other football authorities, with critics arguing that it threatened the governance and commercial independence of the sport.
Ceferin has described the proposal as an even greater threat than the European Super League project that UEFA fought against in 2021. He also stressed that opposition came not only from Europe’s major football nations but from smaller associations that feared their interests could be compromised.
Infantino, meanwhile, has continued to campaign for support among FIFA’s 211 member associations, particularly those from less wealthy football nations.
He has argued that FIFA’s responsibility is to reduce the financial gap between the game’s biggest nations and smaller associations by providing investment and development opportunities.
The FIFA president retains important support from the African and South American confederations, while opposition has grown in parts of Europe and elsewhere.
