Ceferin Tells Infantino to Quit FIFA or Face Challenger in 2027 Election

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to step down, warning that he could face a serious challenger if he seeks another term in office.

Ceferin, however, has ruled himself out of succeeding Infantino, saying he remains committed to UEFA and does not want to pursue the FIFA presidency.

The comments come amid growing criticism of Infantino following his now-abandoned proposal to attract private investment into FIFA competitions, including the World Cup. Ceferin said the controversy had weakened Infantino’s standing within the global football community.

The UEFA president said Infantino now had two choices: recognise that he no longer enjoys enough support and withdraw from the race, or contest the March 2027 election and face an opposing candidate.

Ceferin stressed that the FIFA president needs more than the backing of voting delegates at the FIFA Congress. He said support from fans, players, former players, coaches and other members of the football community was also important.

“If he goes to the elections in March, in that case I think he will have a candidate against him,” Ceferin said, while adding that he did not yet know who the challenger would be. He also revealed that he had not spoken with Infantino since the controversy over the investment proposal began.

Asked whether he would consider replacing Infantino, the 58-year-old Slovenian rejected the idea. He said he enjoys his work at UEFA and believes that, at some point, he wants to step away from football politics and have more time to enjoy life.

Ceferin also argued that his lack of interest in the FIFA presidency gives greater weight to his criticism of the organisation’s leadership. Meanwhile, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa have been mentioned as possible challengers to Infantino.

Infantino has remained active despite the growing criticism. During a recent visit to the Dominican Republic, he spoke about the importance of dialogue and said he was pleased with the support he had received from football officials in the region. The FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March 2027 in Morocco.