UEFA President Calls for Infantino's Resignation

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, a Slovenian, said he is “not interested” in succeeding Swiss-Italian Gianni Infantino, but warned that the FIFA president, who is facing mounting 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 the administration of European football, threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, while several other continental and national federations withdrew their support for Infantino.

However, Čeferin 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. The first is that 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, “The second reason is that my credibility would be much higher if I were not interested in this position.”

Čeferin 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 Infantino’s position, which once seemed secure, has become threatened. Čeferin 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.

“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 political support of fans, former players, and coaches,” he said. He continued, “The second option is that he runs in the March election, but in that case, I believe he will face a rival candidate. I don’t know yet who that will be.”

In contrast, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) “unanimously reaffirmed its support” for Infantino. Former Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o, who currently serves as president of the Cameroon 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.