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Ceferin rejects FIFA bid
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin ruled himself out of running to replace FIFA chief Gianni Infantino, but warned Infantino he must either quit or face a leadership challenge in March.
“must either quit or face a leadership challenge in March”
Ceferin said he was “not interested because of two reasons,” adding that “I love UEFA and I love working here” and that “my credibility is much, much higher if I’m not interested in the position.”
The pressure on Infantino centers on his now-abandoned plan to secure private investment in FIFA tournaments, with three continental confederations accusing him of “deception” and UEFA threatening a boycott of FIFA competitions.
Ceferin also said he has not spoken to Infantino since the start of the controversy, and argued Infantino will either realize he lacks support or face a candidate against him at the next FIFA Congress in Morocco in March.
Support fractures and threats
Ceferin described Infantino’s situation as hinging on whether he has the backing of the football community, saying the support is “not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community.”
The BBC reported that UEFA led opposition to Infantino’s plan to create a new company, Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), to manage commercial and ticketing rights, with 21% to be sold off to a private investment company.
The BBC also said European football’s governing body has since said it has lost confidence in Infantino, while the football associations of all the home nations have withdrawn support for the 56-year-old Swiss.
In the same dispute, Ceferin told the Rest is Politics podcast that “I think this plan is even worse than the Super League plan,” and said “We will not allow that to happen.”
What comes next for FIFA
Ceferin said Infantino must remember he is European after describing the World Cup stake sale plan as “worse than the Super League,” and he argued that Infantino “was supported by Uefa, which he forgot.”
“was supported by Uefa, which he forgot”
The BBC reported that Infantino was flying around the world seeking public support, including meeting Caribbean Football Union members in the Dominican Republic and attending the E-Sports World Cup in Paris.
The BBC also said Ceferin confirmed he would not run to become FIFA president at the FIFA Congress in March 2027, when Infantino will look to secure a fourth term in the role.
Separately, Ceferin criticized a Trump-linked dispute involving Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension overturn, saying “That was more than shocking” and calling it “shocking, and - trust me - almost everybody was shocked.”