Ceferin Opts Out of FIFA Presidential Race
Aleksander Ceferin, the president of UEFA, has officially announced that he will not be running for the FIFA presidency in the upcoming election scheduled for March 2027 in Rabat. This revelation came during an interview on the British podcast, The Rest is Politics. Ceferin, who has been at the helm of UEFA since 2016, has been a prominent critic of the current FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, who has faced significant controversy and challenges regarding his leadership and recent proposals aimed at opening FIFA to new investors.
In his statement, Ceferin expressed his lack of interest in the FIFA presidency, affirming, "I am not interested in the FIFA presidency. I love UEFA and the work I do here." He further emphasized that his credibility as a critic of Infantino would be more substantial if he did not pursue the FIFA role. At 58 years old, Ceferin's term as UEFA president will conclude in 2027, and he hinted at a desire to enjoy life beyond football governance, while still keeping the door ajar regarding a potential re-election bid.
The Future of FIFA Leadership and UEFA's Stance
Under Ceferin's leadership, UEFA has taken a strong stance against FIFA, declaring a boycott of all FIFA competitions, including the World Cups, despite Infantino's attempts to mitigate backlash following his controversial plans. Ceferin stated, "The first option is that he realizes he doesn’t have the necessary support for re-election. The other option is that he participates in the election, but in that case, I believe we will have a candidate against him. I do not know yet who that will be." This reflects the mounting tensions between UEFA and FIFA, with Ceferin not having communicated with Infantino since the onset of the crisis.
Media reports suggest that Victor Montagliani, the president of CONCACAF, may emerge as a leading opponent to Infantino. Together with UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have united in their opposition to the current FIFA president, recently signing a joint statement to rally football associations behind their cause. Ceferin pointed out that Infantino's portrayal of Europe as arrogant in its stance against FIFA is misleading, reminding listeners that Infantino himself is European and was once supported by UEFA.
The FIFA presidential election is set to occur in March 2027, requiring a majority vote from FIFA’s 211 member associations. At present, Infantino remains the only declared candidate. The upcoming election will be critical for the future direction of FIFA and its relationship with major football confederations around the world.
As reported by lesoir.be.
