Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has definitively ruled himself out of the running to replace Gianni Infantino as Fifa president, but he anticipates a strong challenger will emerge against Infantino’s leadership ahead of the March 2027 elections. Ceferin’s prediction comes amid ongoing controversies surrounding the current Fifa chief, including a scrapped private investment plan and allegations of political interference.
Ceferin, 57, stated his lack of interest in the Fifa presidency stems from his commitment to Uefa and a desire to “enjoy life a bit,” while also believing his credibility is enhanced by not seeking the top global football role. Despite his personal decision, the Slovenian expects Infantino, 56, will face a significant test at the next Fifa Congress.
Infantino’s controversial commercial plan and Uefa’s backlash
A major point of contention between Fifa and Uefa was Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell off stakes in Fifa’s competitions to private investors. The plan involved creating a new entity, Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would manage the commercial and ticketing rights for all Fifa tournaments. A 21% stake in FFE was slated for sale to a private investment company.
Uefa led a fierce backlash against the proposal, with its members even voting to boycott World Cups unless the plan was abandoned. Ceferin was particularly critical, learning of the plan through the media while on holiday. He drew a stark comparison to a previous ill-fated venture.
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“I think this plan is even worse than the Super League,” Ceferin stated on The Rest is Politics podcast. “Super important clubs wanted to do their own league, which is wrong, and would destroy football. But in this case, football would be literally sold. I’m absolutely sure that the plan is dead. It’s hard to to imagine what kind of people would sell the sport that belongs to everyone. We will not allow that to happen.” The European Super League project, a proposed breakaway league of 20 top European clubs, famously collapsed just days after its unveiling in April 2021.
Allegations of political interference
Another incident that drew Ceferin’s strong condemnation involved alleged political interference in a player sanction. Former US President Donald Trump claimed he personally called Infantino to request the overturning of a red card suspension for US striker Folarin Balogun. Balogun subsequently played in his side’s defeat by Belgium in the last 16 of this summer’s World Cup, despite the initial sanction.
Ceferin described the situation as “more than shocking” in the same podcast interview. “We have rules, and if you don’t respect your own rules, then the game doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “The president of a country says: ‘I called him, and I told him to look at it.’ And then the Fifa president says it was an independent decision. I mean, for us as football fans, or for us as a governing body, that’s shocking. That’s shocking, and – trust me – almost everybody was shocked. Just not everybody dared to speak.”
Infantino, who worked at Uefa for 16 years, including nine as general secretary, has seen support wane among some football associations. Uefa, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation previously issued an open letter accusing him of breaking trust “through deception.” The football associations of all the home nations have also withdrawn their support. However, he retains backing from the South American governing body Conmebol and the African governing body Caf, and has been actively campaigning, recently appearing at the E-Sports World Cup in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Despite these efforts, Ceferin believes Infantino will need to acknowledge a lack of broad support from the “football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches” or face a direct challenge when the Fifa Congress convenes for elections in March 2027. The identity of any potential challenger remains unknown, but the stage is set for a contentious election cycle.
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