Ceferin rules himself out of FIFA presidency race

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out of the race to replace Gianni Infantino as FIFA president. Although he took this step, he still believes the incumbent could face a challenge at the FIFA Congress in March 2027.

Ceferin, who has emerged as one of the strongest critics of Infantino’s leadership, says he does not intend to contest the FIFA presidency despite growing speculation that he could become a challenger.

The 57-year-old Slovenian expects either Infantino to step down because of dwindling support or another candidate to emerge to challenge his leadership.

“One option is that he realises that he doesn’t have the support, and that’s not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches,” Ceferin said.

Infantino has come under increasing pressure following his decision to scrap a controversial proposal to sell a 21 percent stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a proposed company that would oversee the commercial and ticketing rights of FIFA competitions.

I will campaign for Dede Ayew to become GFA President – Mikel Obi

The plan faced strong opposition from UEFA, which accused FIFA’s leadership of breaking trust and said it had lost confidence in Infantino.

UEFA members had threatened to boycott World Cups if the proposal was not withdrawn, while several football associations, including those from the United Kingdom, have withdrawn their support for the FIFA president.

Despite the backlash, Infantino continues to enjoy significant backing from South American football governing body CONMEBOL and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Infantino has also stepped up his efforts to strengthen support ahead of the 2027 FIFA Congress, travelling extensively in recent weeks.

He met Caribbean Football Union members in the Dominican Republic on Saturday before attending the E-Sports World Cup in Paris on Sunday, where he was joined by French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo.

PAH/EB

NSA urges investors to tap into Ghana’s sports infrastructure