UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has ruled out replacing Gianni Infantino as FIFA president, but warned that the under-fire football chief could either resign or face a leadership challenge at next year’s election.
Infantino has come under growing pressure over his now-abandoned plan to secure private investment in FIFA tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, has also threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, while several continental and national federations have withdrawn their support for Infantino.
Ceferin, however, has dismissed any possibility of succeeding Infantino, telling The Rest Is Politics podcast on Monday that he was “not interested” in the FIFA presidency.
“I’m not interested because of two reasons,” the 58-year-old Slovenian 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 added: “And the second point is, my credibility is much, much higher if I’m not interested in the position.”
Ceferin has been a vocal critic of Infantino since the FIFA president unveiled his controversial plans to seek private investment in a company that would oversee FIFA tournaments.
The UEFA chief now believes Infantino’s previously strong position is under serious threat and predicted that he will either have to step down or face an opponent if he seeks re-election at the next FIFA Congress in Morocco in March 2027.
Infantino, a former UEFA secretary general, enjoyed widespread support from European football associations when he succeeded Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016.
However, Ceferin said the political landscape had changed significantly since then. He also revealed that he had not spoken to Infantino since the controversy over the proposed investment plan began.
“There are two options,” Ceferin said. “One option is that he (Infantino) realises that he doesn’t have the support, and that’s not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches.”
He said the second option would be for Infantino to contest the election, but warned that doing so could lead to a rival candidate emerging.
“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,” Ceferin said.
CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa are among those regarded as potential challengers to Infantino if the contest goes ahead.
Infantino’s future at FIFA is therefore likely to remain a major issue ahead of the March 2027 Congress, with Ceferin’s comments adding to the pressure surrounding the organisation’s leadership.
AFP
