Gianni Infantino faces challenge to FIFA presidential eligibility

Gianni Infantino FIFA presidency term limits FairSquare football governance

The human rights organization FairSquare has formally requested that FIFA's Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee declare Gianni Infantino ineligible for the 2027 presidential election. FairSquare argues that Infantino is currently serving his third and final permitted mandate, and that a successful re-election bid would constitute an illegal fourth term.

The dispute centers on a 2022 decision where FIFA ruled that Infantino's initial period from 2016 to 2019 did not count as a full mandate because he was completing the interrupted term of his predecessor, Sepp Blatter. FairSquare has questioned the transparency of this decision, noting that the underlying report was never publicly released.

Infantino faces mounting opposition from various footballing bodies. The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has announced it will not support his re-election, aligning itself with a collective stance taken by 55 UEFA member associations. Additionally, football associations in England, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland have already withdrawn their support.

This pressure follows criticism from UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation regarding the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a plan to create a commercial subsidiary to manage rights and ticket sales. The FFE project was ultimately abandoned following concerns over its integrity and the potential for private investment to influence the game.

Entities

FIFA · FairSquare · Gianni Infantino · Scottish Football Association · UEFA

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 5 SOURCES] UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation issued an open letter accusing FIFA of breaching trust regarding the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. face.ba · sport1.mk · wixx.com · wxerfm.com · www.tportal.hr
[● 8 SOURCES] The organization FairSquare has formally requested that FIFA's Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee declare Gianni Infantino ineligible for the 2027 presidential election. www.tportal.hr · www.onetz.de · www.volksfreund.de · sport1.mk · wixx.com · +3 more
[● 5 SOURCES] FIFA abandoned plans to establish the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) after facing criticism from continental organizations. face.ba · sport1.mk · wixx.com · wxerfm.com · www.tportal.hr
[● 3 SOURCES] FairSquare questioned the transparency of a 2022 decision that excluded Infantino's first term from the mandate count, noting the report was never publicly released. www.tportal.hr · www.onetz.de · www.sport-tv.si
[● 8 SOURCES] FairSquare argues that Infantino's term from 2016 to 2019 should count as a full mandate, making a 2027 run a violation of the three-term limit. www.tportal.hr · www.onetz.de · www.volksfreund.de · sport1.mk · wixx.com · +3 more
[● 2 SOURCES] Football associations in England, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland have already confirmed they are withdrawing support for Infantino. face.ba · www.tportal.hr
[● 3 SOURCES] The SFA aligns its position with UEFA, following a collective stance taken by 55 national associations. face.ba · sport1.mk · www.tportal.hr
[● 3 SOURCES] The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has announced it will not vote for Gianni Infantino in the 2027 re-election. face.ba · sport1.mk · www.tportal.hr