UEFA President Calls for Infantino's Resignation

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said he is “not interested” in succeeding Swiss-Italian Gianni Infantino, but warned that the FIFA president, who is facing growing criticism, must resign or face a challenger for the leadership in March. Infantino has come under increasing pressure to step down as head of the global governing body of football due to his plan, later retracted, to secure private investments in FIFA-run tournaments, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. At the same time, UEFA, which oversees European football, threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, while several other continental and national federations withdrew their support for Infantino. However, Ceferin ruled out running to succeed Infantino at the helm of world football. The 58-year-old Slovenian said in the podcast “The Rest Is Politics”: “I am not interested for two reasons. First, I love UEFA and I love working here, and I believe that at a certain point... it’s also time to enjoy life a little.” He added, “Second, my credibility would be much higher if I were not interested in this position.” Ceferin has been one of Infantino’s most prominent critics since the latter revealed his controversial plans to seek private investments in a company that runs FIFA tournaments. The Slovenian now believes that the position, which seemed secure for Infantino, has become threatened. Ceferin expects the Swiss-Italian to either step down or face a challenger if he seeks re-election at the next FIFA Congress in Morocco in March 2027. He said, “There are two options. The first is that Infantino realizes he does not have support, not only the political support of those with voting rights, but also the political support of the football community, the fans, former players, and coaches.” He continued, “The second option is that he runs in the March elections, but in that case, I believe he will face a rival candidate. I don’t know yet who it will be.” Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has “unanimously reaffirmed its support” for Infantino. Former Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o, who currently serves as president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, expressed his support for Infantino, stating that he “has not made any mistake,” and argued that the campaign against him is driven by political considerations ahead of next year’s FIFA presidential election.