Aleksander Ceferin urges Gianni Infantino to resign

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called on FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to leave his post, saying the Swiss-Italian no longer has secure backing across football. Ceferin also ruled out standing to replace him, insisting he prefers to remain at UEFA and that his position is more credible without presidential ambitions.

Ceferin said Infantino now faces two possible paths before FIFA’s next election in Morocco in March 2027. He could accept that support has weakened among voting federations and the wider football community, or contest the election against an opponent. Infantino was previously expected to win without a challenger, but he is currently the only declared candidate and would need a majority of FIFA’s 211 member associations.

The dispute intensified after Infantino proposed attracting private investment into companies managing FIFA competitions, including the men’s and women’s World Cups. He later withdrew the plan, while FIFA leadership reaffirmed its support for him at an emergency meeting in Rabat and apologised for the controversy. UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation have opposed his position and issued a joint appeal for unity around their stance.

The African Football Confederation has instead unanimously renewed its support for Infantino. The FIFA president has continued meetings with football officials, including in the Dominican Republic, as pressure grows ahead of the Morocco vote. Ceferin said he had not spoken to Infantino since the dispute began.