Fifa President Gianni Infantino laid out his manifesto for reelection as the champion of poorer soccer nations on Sunday as Uefa chief Aleksander Ceferin ruled out running against him but said he thought there would be an opposition candidate. Almost a month after Infantino tabled his now abandoned proposal to create a commercial body for Fifa tournament rights and sell off 20% to private investors, the battle for the future of global governance of the world's most popular sport rages on.
European governing body Uefa, backed by the regional blocs for Asia (AFC) and North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), has led the opposition and Ceferin suggested that Infantino should stand down. 'There are two options,' he told The Rest Is Politics podcast. 'One option is that he realises that he doesn't have the support... 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.'
Ceferin said the proposal was a greater threat to the sport than the European Super League plan that Uefa successfully fought in 2021, noting that opposition came from smaller nations like San Marino, Cyprus, and Liechtenstein who declared they were not for sale. Infantino, holding the position since 2016, made it clear he is banking on support from less well-off national associations to win reelection until 2031.
Speaking after meeting members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in the Dominican Republic, Infantino emphasized Fifa's commitment to closing the wealth gap in global football. Despite some friction with regional officials like CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani, Infantino maintained his focus on grassroots development across all 211 member countries.