UEFA Chief Ceferin Urges Infantino to Step Down as FIFA President

Nyon (GNP): UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called on FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to step down, warning that the under-fire football administrator could face a leadership challenge if he contests the next presidential election. The remarks come amid mounting pressure on Infantino over his now-abandoned proposal to secure private investment in FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup.

That pressure has translated into concrete opposition from within the sport’s governing bodies. UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) has strongly opposed the investment plan and threatened to boycott FIFA competitions, while several continental and national football federations have also withdrawn their support for Infantino, reflecting a broader erosion of confidence in his leadership.

Despite his criticism, Ceferin ruled out any interest in succeeding Infantino as head of world football’s governing body, framing his position as a matter of credibility rather than ambition. Speaking on a podcast on Monday, the 58-year-old Slovenian said his criticism carried greater weight precisely because he was not seeking Infantino’s position. Says Aleksander Ceferin, “My credibility is much higher if I’m not interested in the position.”

Building on that point, Ceferin said Infantino now faced two possible scenarios, either recognising that he had lost the backing of much of the football community and stepping aside, or contesting the election and facing an opponent. The next FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Congress is scheduled to take place in Morocco in March, setting a clear timeline against which the dispute is expected to come to a head.

Elaborating further, Ceferin said Infantino had lost not only political backing among football officials but also support from fans, players, former players and coaches, indicating that the fallout extended well beyond administrative circles. He added that he had not spoken to Infantino since the controversy began, underlining the extent of the rift between the two football leaders.

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Amid speculation over a potential succession, CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) president Victor Montagliani and Asian Football Confederation chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa have emerged as possible challengers, though Ceferin said he did not yet know who might ultimately stand for the position.

For his part, Infantino appeared to address the growing controversy during meetings with football officials in the Dominican Republic over the weekend, where he stressed the importance of dialogue and listening to different opinions while saying he remained encouraged by the support he had received. Infantino has led FIFA since 2016, when he succeeded Sepp Blatter with broad support from European football nations, a base of support that now appears increasingly uncertain as the March Congress approaches.