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Aleksander Ceferin rules out FIFA presidency bid
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has officially ruled himself out of the FIFA presidential race scheduled for March 2027. Speaking on the podcast ‘The Rest is Politics’, Ceferin stated he intends to remain at UEFA, citing a desire to enjoy life and a belief that his credibility as an opponent of current FIFA President Gianni Infantino is higher if he does not seek the position himself.
Despite his decision not to run, Ceferin warned that Infantino faces a significant leadership challenge. He suggested that Infantino must either recognize a lack of support from the football community—including fans, players, and coaches—or face a challenger at the FIFA Congress in Morocco. Potential contenders mentioned in reports include CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani and AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa.
The leadership crisis at FIFA follows the collapse of a controversial plan to sell commercial stakes in major competitions, such as the World Cup, to private investors through a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise. This proposal drew intense backlash from UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC, with UEFA even threatening to boycott FIFA events. Additionally, a group of prominent footballers, including Mikael Silvestre and Emmanuel Petit, issued a statement calling for structural change, alleging that the current leadership has drifted from the sport's core values.
Entities
Aleksander Čeferin · FIFA · Gianni Infantino · UEFA · Victor Montagliani
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions following the proposal to sell commercial stakes to private investors. www.formosadeportiva.com.ar · thepolypost.com
- [● 13 SOURCES] UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out of the FIFA presidential race for March 2027. diarioparaguayo.com · www.formosadeportiva.com.ar · futbol.gt · gazetakosova.com · www.hondurasensusmanos.info · +8 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Ceferin predicts Gianni Infantino will face an opponent if he seeks re-election in March 2027. www.formosadeportiva.com.ar · futbol.gt · www.hondurasensusmanos.info · ministryofsport.com · mendozatoday.com.ar · +1 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Hungarian Football Federation president Sandor Csanyi withdrew support from Gianni Infantino. g3.football
- [● 3 SOURCES] Gianni Infantino abandoned a plan to sell a 20-21 percent stake in FIFA Forward Enterprise to private investors. www.formosadeportiva.com.ar · thepolypost.com · actualidad.rt.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] FIFA will host its first U15 World Cup in Azerbaijan between October 22 and 31, 2026. national.ro
- [● 4 SOURCES] CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is cited as a potential candidate to challenge Infantino in 2027. gazetakosova.com · www.hondurasensusmanos.info · ministryofsport.com · www.gsp.ro
- [● 4 SOURCES] A group of current and former footballers issued a statement calling for structural change at FIFA. futbol.gt · www.naijanews.com · actualidad.rt.com · www.t-online.de