Gianni Infantino does not take a step back. Despite the growing division that exists in international football and the loss of support from several federations and confederations, the current president of FIFA remains firm in his intention to continue in office and will be a candidate for re-election in March 2027.
A spokesman for the Italian-Swiss leader confirmed this Sunday to AFP that nothing has changed compared to the announcement made by Infantino in April.
“The president of FIFA announced in April that he would run for re-election in 2027. Of course, nothing has changed and Mr. Infantino will run for re-election,” said the spokesperson, confirming information previously published by the English press.
The decision comes at a particularly delicate moment for the highest body in world football. Infantino faces growing opposition among different sectors of football, which question his way of running FIFA and, especially, some of his economic initiatives and decisions made at the head of the organization.
One of the episodes that generated the most criticism was his proposal to manage the income derived from the World Cup through a company open to private investors, an initiative that he promoted without prior consultation with all FIFA members. Although he later abandoned the project, doubts about his management did not disappear.
In recent weeks, furthermore, the FIFA president has suffered a trickle of losses of support in Europe. At the end of August, Italy joined other federations that had already expressed their rejection of Infantino’s continuity, including Sweden and Scotland.
Opposition has also come from other sectors. Collectives of fans, former footballers and Sandor Csanyi, one of the vice presidents of the FIFA Council, have spoken out against the leader.
The most important blow came in early August, when UEFA, Concacaf and the AFC issued a joint letter addressed to the “football family” in which they disavowed the FIFA president.
The situation, however, is far from uniform. Infantino retains important support within world football. The African Football Confederation (CAF) has supported him “unanimously”, while it also has the support of part of Conmebol and different federations and personalities.
Among his endorsements is also the president of the United States, Donald Trump, with whom Infantino has strengthened ties in recent years.
For now, Infantino is the only candidate who has publicly declared his intention to compete for the FIFA presidency. Candidates must be submitted before November 18, while the elections are scheduled for March 2027.
To continue leading the organization, the leader will need a simple majority among the representatives of the 211 affiliated federations.
Infantino became president in 2016 and was re-elected in 2023 with broad support from European football. Now he is seeking a new mandate in a very different scenario, marked by the loss of support on the continent that was once one of his main pillars.
The 2027 election is thus beginning to emerge as a test of power for Infantino. The Swiss intends to remain at the head of FIFA, but first he must demonstrate that he still has enough votes to overcome an opposition that, for the first time in years, seems determined to stand up to his leadership.
