Amid widespread criticism of his leadership and the growing threat of legal proceedings, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed his intention to run for re-election in six months’ time, football’s global governing body said.
Infantino has not changed his plans to “stand for re-election in ۲۰۲۷”, a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday, hours after the FIFA chief avoided questions on his future at the Under-۲۰ Women’s World Cup in Poland.
“The FIFA president announced in April that he will stand for re-election in ۲۰۲۷. Of course, nothing has changed. Mr Infantino will be standing for re-election,” the statement said.
On Saturday, the ۵۶-year-old stayed silent on the leadership challenge he faces as a result of his failed plan to sell rights to private investors in the World Cup, and declined to answer questions about his re-election upon arrival at the opening match of the tournament.
Infantino was in the stands speaking with Polish Football Federation President Cezary Kulesza as hosts Poland faced Argentina at the Arena Katowice.
“There will be a lot to say, but there will be a right place and a right time to say this. It’s not today, it’s not here, but here and today, we are enjoying football,” Infantino told British broadcaster Sky News outside the stadium.
“We are continuing at FIFA, of course, to work to give every corner of the world a chance, an opportunity, a dignity, to find ways and means for them to become better and to participate and to celebrate football, which we all love.”
Infantino did not answer when asked if he had considered resigning or whether he still intends to stand for a fourth term next year.
Waning support
The Swiss-Italian has been the most powerful man in world football over the past ۱۰ years, but has increasingly lost support from regional football confederations and national associations. Last month, he appeared to be pulling out all the stops in a bid to retain his position, despite growing calls for his ousting and wide-ranging disapproval of his plans.
He is seen as a divisive figure in international football, with his close ties to some of the most powerful global leaders and plans for maximising revenue from football viewed as a threat to the game.
With a little over six months until the next round of elections for FIFA’s presidency, Infantino appears to be losing ground among his usual backers.
FIFA presidents are limited to three terms in office, with each term lasting four years.
However, in ۲۰۲۲, Infantino successfully argued that his first spell in charge, which began when he was elected at an extraordinary FIFA Congress in ۲۰۱۶ following Sepp Blatter’s resignation, should not count towards that limit because it completed an interrupted mandate.
His plans to run for a fourth term have been questioned by critics and rights groups, who have asked FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC) to block the re-election bid.
Infantino’s support has waned, especially since making no secret of his close ties with United States President Donald Trump and announcing FIFA’s plans to privatise the World Cup in order to maximise revenue from the tournament.
He was the target of widespread scathing criticism in December, when he handed the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to Trump at the FIFA World Cup ۲۰۲۶ draw in Washington, DC.
Legal battle
A further blow to the global football chief’s position came in the days after the World Cup, when he invited private investors to buy a stake in future profits from World Cups and all FIFA events. The investor group was led by Joshua Kushner, the American businessman who is also the younger brother of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Last month, UEFA asked a federal court in the US for permission to obtain testimony and documents from FIFA entities in Florida for use in a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland against Infantino, according to a court filing.
In an urgent application filed under US law, European football’s governing body said it was considering criminal proceedings against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials and advisers. That was over their now-abandoned plan to transfer commercial rights linked to men’s and women’s World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).
In turn, FIFA accused UEFA of a “smear campaign” and a “fishing expedition” and hit back by asking US judges for permission to contest the UEFA requests.
“While these applications are styled as legal pleadings with captions and docket numbers, they are little more than press releases in further support of UEFA’s smear campaign against FIFA and its leadership,” said the FIFA filings.
They say UEFA does not have the right to demand FIFA internal documents because no criminal proceedings yet exist in Switzerland or elsewhere.
The polls to elect FIFA’s next president will be held at the global governing body’s next congress, scheduled for March ۱۸, ۲۰۲۷ in Rabat, Morocco.
All challengers vying for the post must declare their candidacy by November ۱۸ .
The candidates will face off in a poll involving all ۲۱۱ FIFA member nations, with ۱۰۶ votes required to pick a winner.
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