Official statement: Infantino settles the controversy over his candidacy in the FIFA elections | Goal.com

Published on 06 Sep 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

FIFA have confirmed that president Gianni Infantino will stand for re-election next March.

President since 2016, Infantino faces mounting pressure after scrapping his plans to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investment firms.

The lucrative scheme sparked a wave of global anger. UEFA threatened to boycott all FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

A statement issued by FIFA read: "Infantino announced in April that he would stand for re-election in 2027,"

It added: "Of course, nothing has changed. Mr Infantino will stand for re-election."

This marks the first time FIFA have confirmed Infantino intends to run for a fourth term since the scandal broke following the World Cup in the summer.

Only this week, FIFA accused UEFA of waging a "smear campaign against him and his leadership", part of a challenge to the legal proceedings relating to Infantino's plan.

UEFA had filed legal documents in the United States last week, demanding FIFA disclose evidence and documents and warning they could pursue a criminal complaint in Switzerland.

BBC Sport has learned that UEFA are confident of finding a candidate to challenge Infantino.

Any challenger must secure the backing of at least 106 associations out of FIFA's 211 members.

Forcing a vote of no confidence is off the table, with UEFA backing away from the idea.

Passing such a motion would require three-quarters of the members, 159 votes, through an amendment to FIFA's statutes. That is considered unrealistic.

No other candidates have emerged to challenge Infantino so far, though CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani is viewed as a serious option.

Nominations must be submitted no later than 18 November.You can discuss topics and news in greater depth on the "Kooora" forums

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