Infantino seeks FIFA re-election as opposition hunts rival
Gianni Infantino will stand for re-election as FIFA president next March, and this time he may finally face a challenger.
FIFA has confirmed its long-serving president will seek a fourth term at the FIFA Congress in Rabat on 18 March. Nominations close on 18 November, which leaves just weeks for any rival to get on the ballot, according to the BBC.
To stand, a candidate needs five backing letters from FIFA's 211 member associations. That sounds small. In practice it is a high bar, because federations rarely break cover against an incumbent.
The row centres on FIFA Forward Enterprise, a plan to sell off commercial rights in the World Cup to a private equity firm — in short, outside investors buying a stake in the tournament's money-making machine. News of the proposal broke little more than two months ago. Infantino summoned FIFA's management board to Rabat on 5 August to discuss it.
The idea was valued at $20 billion in July reports, when it was described as a new commercial arm for FIFA competitions. Those same reports said the plan was later scrapped, as covered by Deadline.
It left a split. The BBC reported UEFA, Concacaf and Asia lined up against Infantino, with Africa, South America and Oceania in support.
Africa's 54 nations have now pledged unconditional support for Infantino at a conference in Cape Verde. It is the third time this year they have done so. Infantino told delegates FIFA had invested $1bn over 10 years in Africa, and he promised further resources for the continent, according to Reuters.
Europe's search for a rival has stalled. Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf — the confederation covering North, Central America and the Caribbean — had been put forward as the most credible figure to unify the opposition. He has since told staff he intends to stand for re-election with Concacaf instead.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin will not fill the gap. He said in August he would not stand against Infantino in the FIFA election, even as he reversed his own decision to step down from UEFA to seek a final term.
The only declared challenger so far is Ramon Vega. The former Tottenham and Switzerland defender has put himself forward for FIFA president, becoming the first candidate to publicly declare his intention to run against Infantino, reported Reuters.
For fans, this means the politics will run alongside the football all the way to next summer. Infantino was last re-elected unopposed in Kigali in 2023. A contested vote in Rabat would feel very different, with 211 federations picking the man who runs the World Cup.
