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Will Gianni Infantino win a fourth FIFA term in 2027 as UEFA opposition grows?
FIFA president Gianni Infantino will seek a fourth term in 2027 as UEFA opposition grows over his investment plans and a possible rival emerges.
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Gianni Infantino will seek re-election as FIFA president in 2027, with FIFA confirming that he will stand for another term in the election scheduled for March. Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016 and is now seeking a fourth term in charge of world football.
“Of course, nothing has changed. Mr Infantino will be standing for re-election,” FIFA said in a statement, confirming his plan. FIFA said Infantino had already announced in April that he would run again in the 2027 election.
Infantino faces pressure
Infantino did not answer questions about his future when reporters asked him about the issue at the Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland on Saturday. His decision to run again comes as he faces growing pressure over a controversial plan involving private investment in FIFA competitions.
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Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investment firms triggered strong opposition from parts of European football. UEFA, European football’s governing body, had threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, over the plan. FIFA has also accused UEFA of launching a “smear campaign” against the organisation and its leadership.
UEFA takes legal action
The latest dispute has also moved into legal territory. UEFA filed legal papers in the United States last week seeking access to evidence and documents from FIFA over Infantino’s plan. UEFA has warned that it could also file a criminal complaint in Switzerland, adding to the pressure on Infantino and FIFA.
The situation marks a major change from just a few months ago. As recently as mid-July, Infantino was widely seen as almost certain to win re-election, with only a small number of FIFA members yet to support him. However, Infantino has lost support from several football associations since his investment plan was announced.
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Infantino loses support
The football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland are among those that have publicly withdrawn their support for Infantino. Despite the divisions, UEFA believes it may be able to find a candidate to challenge Infantino in the election. BBC Sport understands that UEFA is confident a rival candidate can be found.
Any candidate challenging Infantino must receive support from at least 106 of FIFA’s 211 member associations to enter the race. UEFA has also dropped the idea of trying to force a vote of no confidence against Infantino.
FIFA election 2027
Such a move would need 159 votes, or three-quarters of FIFA’s members, and would require changes to FIFA’s statutes. The BBC reports that this is considered unrealistic. No official challenger to Infantino has been announced yet. However, Concacaf president Victor Montagliani is being considered as a serious possible candidate.
FIFA members have until 18 November to submit nominations for the presidential election. FIFA rules allow a president to serve a maximum of four terms. If the 56-year-old Infantino wins the 2027 election, he would remain FIFA president until 2031. The election is therefore expected to be closely watched as Infantino faces a challenge from growing divisions within European football over his leadership and investment plans.
