UEFA Chief Urges Infantino to Step Down as FIFA President

By Staff, Agencies

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has said he will not run against FIFA President Gianni Infantino but warned that Infantino could face a challenger if he seeks another term in the upcoming election.

Infantino has come under increasing pressure following the collapse of a proposal to sell stakes in World Cup commercial rights to private equity investors. UEFA and other football confederations opposed the plan, while UEFA had also threatened to boycott FIFA competitions over the proposal.

Speaking to the podcast The Rest is Politics: Leading, Ceferin strongly criticized the initiative, describing it as worse than the controversial European Super League project. He said he was confident the plan was no longer viable and praised efforts to prevent another attempt to commercialize the sport in that way.

Ceferin said Infantino now faces two possible paths: stepping down after losing the backing of the wider football community, or seeking re-election and potentially facing an opponent.

He said that if Infantino contests the election in March, he believes another candidate will challenge him, although he does not yet know who that person will be.

Infantino has headed FIFA since 2016 and had appeared likely to secure re-election without opposition in Morocco next year. FIFA has set Nov. 18 as the deadline for potential challengers to submit their nominations.

Ceferin, 58, has previously been mentioned as a possible candidate but ruled out seeking the FIFA presidency. He said he remains committed to UEFA and enjoys his work there. He also argued that staying out of the race strengthens his credibility.

Asked about Infantino’s close relationship with US President Donald Trump, Ceferin cautioned against viewing political relationships as genuine friendships, saying political leaders can distance themselves from allies when circumstances change.