--- title: "Ceferin Rules Out FIFA Presidency Bid but Demands an Opposition Candidate Against Infantino" description: "UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has officially declined to run for the FIFA presidency but has called for an alternative candidate to be put forward against Gianni Infantino amid the conflict over the cancelled sale of 20% of tournament rights." date: 2026-08-25T09:52:02.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ceferin-rules-out-fifa-presidency-demands-opposition-candidate-against-infantino tags: [uefa, fifa, ceferin, infantino, football-governance, world-football] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ceferin Rules Out FIFA Presidency Bid but Demands an Opposition Candidate Against Infantino ![UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin in a dark suit at a microphone with the UEFA logo on his lapel, having declined the FIFA presidency](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/25/ceferin-otkaz-fifa-infantino-opyiciya-kandidat/ceferin-otkaz-fifa-infantino-opyiciya-kandidat-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Aleksander Ceferin has officially ruled out his participation in the FIFA presidential election but stated the need to put forward an opposition candidate against Infantino. - The conflict was triggered by Infantino's cancelled initiative to sell 20% of FIFA's tournament rights to private investors. - UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF have led the opposition and are considering a vote of no confidence before the March 2027 election; six associations have called on Infantino to resign. - Infantino, who has headed FIFA since 2016 and plans to stay until 2031, relies on the support of poorer associations from Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has officially ruled out his personal involvement in the election for the head of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). In an interview on the podcast The Rest Is Politics: Leading, he nonetheless stated that the organization's current leader, Gianni Infantino, needs an alternative candidate who can challenge him in the upcoming election. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the Reuters news agency. ### Roots of the Conflict: The Cancelled Sale of 20% of Tournament Rights A sharp rift in global football leadership erupted after Infantino's controversial initiative to create a commercial structure that would sell 20% of FIFA's tournament rights to private investors. The project was subsequently cancelled, but it became the trigger for a deep crisis of trust. In Ceferin's assessment, this proposal posed an even greater threat to football than the 2021 European Super League project: it was opposed not only by the major and wealthy associations, but also by small football nations — San Marino, Cyprus, and Liechtenstein. ### The Opposition Coalition and the Threat of a Vote of No Confidence The opposition was led by UEFA, which was supported by the confederations of Asia (AFC) and North and Central America (CONCACAF). According to sources, these three regional blocs are considering bringing a vote of no confidence against Infantino before the official election, scheduled for March 2027. In parallel, six associations — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands — held a meeting in Helsinki and issued a joint statement calling on the incumbent FIFA president to resign. ### Two Scenarios for the Situation According to Ceferin In the podcast, Ceferin outlined two possible scenarios. The first: Infantino realizes the lack of support — not only political among the voting members, but also from the football community, fans, players, and coaches — and steps down voluntarily. The second: he goes to the election in March, but in that case an alternative candidate will be put forward against him. "Who exactly — I don't know yet," the UEFA chief emphasized, making it clear that he himself will not enter the race. ### Infantino's Position and the Strategy for Holding onto Power Gianni Infantino, who has headed FIFA since 2016 and intends to keep the post until 2031, has no intention of yielding. His key strategy consists in winning the support of the poorer associations from Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. During a visit to the Dominican Republic, he emphasized that FIFA's mission is to narrow the gap between rich and poor football nations, providing the latter with resources and new opportunities for development. ### Exchange of Accusations: "European Supremacy" and Ceferin's Response Ceferin rejected the accusations of "European supremacy" directed at UEFA, reminding that Infantino himself is a European and at one time obtained the FIFA presidency thanks to UEFA's support. Thus, the conflict has moved from the plane of specific financial initiatives to the plane of a struggle for legitimacy and control over the global football agenda, where at stake is not only the future of tournament rights but also the very architecture of power within FIFA. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Rift in World Football: Ceferin Reveals Whether He Will Run for FIFA President](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/rozkol-svitovomu-futboli-cheferin-rozkriv-1787650937.html) - Основной источник: отказ Чеферина от участия, два сценария, коалиция УЕФА/AFC/CONCACAF, встреча шести ассоциаций в Хельсинки, цитата о Суперлиге 2021. - [Ceferin Explains Under What Conditions Infantino Could Resign as FIFA President](https://www.sport-express.net/football/news/cheferin-rasskazal-pri-kakih-usloviyah-infantino-mozhet-uyti-v-otstavku-s-posta-prezidenta-fifa-2449699/) - Подтверждает сценарии добровольного ухода и выдвижения альтернативного кандидата. - [Ceferin Announces He Will Not Run for FIFA President](https://www.rbc.ru/sport/24/08/2026/6a8bed5f9a7947136349074c) - Подтверждает официальный отказ Чеферина от участия в выборах. - [UEFA Chief Ceferin States He Will Not Run for the Post of FIFA President](https://www.forbes.ru/sport/567205-glava-uefa-ceferin-zaavil-cto-ne-budet-ballotirovat-sa-na-post-prezidenta-fifa) - Независимое подтверждение отказа Чеферина от баллотирования. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Will Aleksander Ceferin himself run for the post of FIFA president? **A:** No. Ceferin has officially ruled out his personal participation in the election, but stated that an alternative candidate must be put forward against Gianni Infantino, and that he himself is not that candidate. ### Q: What caused the conflict between UEFA and FIFA's leadership? **A:** The cause was Infantino's cancelled initiative to create a commercial structure for selling 20% of FIFA's tournament rights to private investors. Ceferin called this a greater threat to football than the 2021 European Super League project. ### Q: When is the FIFA presidential election scheduled, and what is the opposition seeking? **A:** The official election is scheduled for March 2027. UEFA, AFC, and CONCACAF are considering bringing a vote of no confidence against Infantino before that election, while six associations have already called on him to resign.