UEFA draw up qualities required for candidate to run towards FIFA President Gianni Infantino in March’s election.
Revealed On 8 Oct 2026
European soccer’s governing physique UEFA has detailed the form of president it desires to exchange Gianni Infantino with to run FIFA – “a revered and unifying determine, deeply rooted in soccer”.
A candidate who “represents FIFA globally and supplies management with out exercising administration features,” UEFA stated on Thursday, after a meeting of its 55 member federations that formed a method to search out an opponent for Infantino earlier than a November 18 deadline.
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Precisely who that candidate may very well be was not mentioned on Thursday, although it is not going to be UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin – and probably not be European – within the seek for international votes among the many 211 FIFA-member federations.
Ceferin did use the assembly to substantiate he’ll stand for re-election for a fourth and ultimate time period subsequent April 22 in Astana, Kazakhstan. Like Ceferin, Infantino was additionally elected in 2016 and seeks a fourth time period by way of to 2031.
Slovenian lawyer Ceferin has led international efforts by soccer officers since July to oust Infantino from his more and more executive-style presidency earlier than or on the FIFA election subsequent March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.
Infantino’s secretive and quickly defeated plan to sell stakes within the World Cup and different tournaments to personal traders pushed UEFA’s long-held unease with FIFA tasks and governance in direction of operating a rival candidate towards him.
“FIFA additionally wants new management: a revered and unifying determine, deeply rooted in soccer, with the imaginative and prescient and expertise to steer, the power to command confidence throughout areas and an unequivocal dedication to improvement, reform, integrity and independence,” UEFA stated in a press release after the daylong assembly in Berlin.
UEFA repeated an earlier promise that every one of FIFA’s members ought to obtain a one-off $10m dividend from the governing physique’s reserves.
FIFA’s money reserves stand at near $6bn after the profitable males’s World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.
UEFA flags concern about ‘government interference’ at FIFA
Addressing doubts in regards to the integrity of some World Cup selections by FIFA, the UEFA slate of future modifications urged that “appointments and work of FIFA’s oversight our bodies are shielded from presidential or government interference”.
FIFA’s dealing with of World Cup pink card or participant eligibility instances for Cristiano Ronaldo, United States ahead Folarin Balogun and Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi has provoked international concern.
Considerations about Infantino intervening in field-of-play points date to FIFA including Lionel Messi’s group, Inter Miami, to the 2025 Membership World Cup when it was not the Main League Soccer champion – and after no clear session or course of to make the choice.
UEFA stated its reforms record for FIFA was backed by all of its members besides Azerbaijan, which has pledged its vote to Infantino. One among Infantino’s key aides in his globetrotting election marketing campaign is from Azerbaijan.
In a pointed suggestion, UEFA’s record of attainable reforms included: “No FIFA sources could also be used for private or electoral pursuits”.
Infantino reminds African voters of their FIFA cash
Whereas UEFA was deciding its technique towards Infantino, its former longtime worker was in Cape Verde getting a standing ovation at a gathering of the 54 FIFA member federations from Africa.
The applause was urged by FIFA Vice President Patrice Motsepe to members of the Confederation of African Soccer he leads.
Infantino had minutes earlier reminded his voters of investments FIFA made for African soccer since he was elected in February 2016.
“With the FIFA Ahead programme we have now invested, in 10 years, 1 billion US {dollars} in Africa, 500 million within the final 4 years. 100 and 24 completely different tasks and plenty of different actions,” Infantino stated. “We have to proceed, after all collectively, on this path.”
Vega tries once more to be a FIFA presidential candidate
One one that stated this week he does wish to run towards Infantino is former Switzerland and Tottenham defender Ramon Vega.
It might be Vega’s second try to problem Infantino after he didn’t get the required 5 voting federations to assist an software in 2019.
It’s unclear if Vega meets the eligibility check of getting had a recognised function in soccer for no less than two of the previous 5 years.
