FIFA President Gianni Infantino will seek re-election in March. This is according to a statement from FIFA, the global football governing body.
Recently, Infantino faced criticism over a plan to bring private investment into FIFA’s commercial rights. This issue has caused more divisions among several football federations. Some have already pulled out, including the Football Associations of England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland.
On Sunday, a FIFA statement confirmed that the 56-year-old Swiss leader, who has been in the role since 2016, will run for another term. If he wins, he will remain in office until 2031.
The statement noted, “The FIFA president announced in April that he will stand for re-election in 2027.” It added, “Of course, nothing has changed. Mr Infantino will be standing for re-election.”
Infantino did not respond to questions about his future when reporters asked him at the Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland on Saturday. This is the first time FIFA has confirmed he will run for a new term since announcing the controversial plan after the summer’s World Cup.
FIFA recently accused UEFA, European football’s governing body, of running a “smear campaign.” This latest issue arose after UEFA requested US courts to release documents and obtain testimony related to FIFA Forward Enterprise. This was a proposal to bring outside investors into the commercial rights of major FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
UEFA claimed this information could be important for possible criminal cases in Switzerland against Infantino and other FIFA officials or advisers. UEFA has alleged that the FFE proposal was made without proper discussions with FIFA’s Council, regional confederations, or its 211 member associations.
They also criticized the valuation and structure of the proposed investment. UEFA accused Infantino of possibly benefiting personally from this deal. FIFA has denied these claims and argued in court that UEFA is misrepresenting what was just a proposal.
Right now, there are no specific candidates to oppose Infantino in the election. However, CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani is viewed as a strong possibility.
Nominations for the election must be submitted by November 18, 2026.
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