Ceferin Rules Out Bid, Warns Infantino

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said he will not challenge Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency, but warned that the FIFA chief must either acknowledge he has lost the support of the football community or face a challenger at the election scheduled for March.

Speaking to The Rest Is Politics: Leading podcast, set to broadcast on Monday, Ceferin said: "I'm not interested because of two reasons. One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point… it's time to also enjoy life a bit. And the second point is, my credibility is much, much higher if I'm not interested in the position."

Ceferin's comments were published in excerpts in British media on Sunday. He outlined two options for Infantino: "One option is that he realizes 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. And the second option is that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case, I think he will have a candidate against him. I don't know yet who."

Origins of the Pressure

The pressure on Infantino stems from his now-abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors. Three continental confederations — UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and CONCACAF — accused him of "deception," and UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions. Several national federations also withdrew support for Infantino's re-election.

Infantino has been FIFA president since 2016. Until the backlash over his proposals, he seemed assured of re-election unopposed. FIFA has set a November 18 deadline for challengers to nominate.

Ceferin, 58, told the podcast that he had not spoken to Infantino since the controversy began and that he had learned about the investment plan through the media while on holiday.

Reactions and Support

While Ceferin has been among Infantino's most vocal critics, some figures have rallied around the FIFA president. Samuel Eto'o, president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, told CNN Sports that Infantino "hasn't done anything wrong." Eto'o attributed the opposition to the timing of the election: "I think all these things are happening because of the timing. There's an election coming up where Gianni Infantino is standing."

Eto'o also suggested the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, which would have sold a 20% stake in a commercial body for FIFA tournament rights, should be revisited, arguing that it would have helped distribute wealth fairly. "The 211 members were supposed to sit down, debate the issue and let the majority win," he said.

CAF, the African football confederation, has backed Infantino, and its president Patrice Motsepe said the future should be decided at the 2027 election. Other supporters include CONMEBOL, which praised FIFA for scrapping the plan without calling for Infantino's resignation, as well as the football associations of Argentina, Mexico, Qatar, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Infantino has continued to position himself as a champion of smaller football nations. Speaking after meeting the Caribbean Football Union in the Dominican Republic, he said FIFA's priority was reducing the financial gap between countries. "We want to grow football in every one of our 211 countries in the world," he said. He added that he was "very, very happy with all the support I get here."

Potential Challengers

According to multiple reports, potential challengers to Infantino include CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, who is also a FIFA vice president, and AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. Sheikh Salman, who lost to Infantino in the 2016 election, called the FFE proposals "totally unacceptable." Montagliani sent a letter asking Infantino to stay away from a youth tournament in the Dominican Republic, but Infantino attended anyway.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe, who supports Infantino, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, though he has said the matter should be settled at the ballot box. Motsepe met with Ceferin on August 13.

Players and Others Weigh In

Pressure on Infantino has extended beyond confederations. Mikael Silvestre, a former Manchester United defender and member of FIFA's Players' Voice Panel, published a statement on X calling for reform, writing "Enough is enough!" The message was shared by players including Lucy Bronze and Emmanuel Petit. The statement said players share "the exact same concerns as the millions of fans" and that "change is necessary."

Ceferin also criticized US President Donald Trump's intervention in a red-card decision involving Folarin Balogun during the World Cup, calling it "more than shocking." Trump had reportedly called Infantino to request that Balogun's suspension be overturned. Ceferin said of Infantino, "someone should remind him that he is a European," dismissing FIFA's talk of an "arrogant Europe."

Looking Ahead

The FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March next year, with the FIFA Congress to be held in Morocco. Infantino remains the only officially declared candidate, though Ceferin's warning suggests that could change. Ceferin himself is expected to run unopposed for a fourth term at UEFA.

Reuters contacted FIFA for comment on Ceferin's criticism, but no response was reported.