Infantino to Seek Fourth Term as FIFA President Despite Backlash Over Failed World Cup Investment Plan

FIFA President Gianni Infantino will seek re-election in March 2027, despite mounting opposition over his controversial plan to sell a stake in the commercial revenues of the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors.

FIFA confirmed on Sunday that Infantino’s decision to contest the election has not changed, weeks after the proposed investment deal collapsed amid resistance from several major football bodies. If re-elected, the 56-year-old Swiss-Italian would serve another four-year term through 2031.

Infantino had already announced his intention to seek another term at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver in April. FIFA said his latest confirmation simply reaffirms that position.

The controversy centres on FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), a proposed commercial vehicle that would have brought together revenues from FIFA competitions and sought billions of dollars from private investors.

The plan included a proposal to sell a roughly 20% stake in FIFA competition revenues to investors, with reports putting the potential investment at around $4 billion. It was ultimately abandoned after fierce opposition from football authorities and national associations.

The collapse has deepened an already bitter power struggle between FIFA and UEFA, with European football officials questioning Infantino’s leadership and demanding greater transparency and limits on presidential authority.

UEFA has also sought access to documents connected to the abandoned investment plan through U.S. courts as it considers possible legal action in Switzerland. FIFA, however, has accused UEFA of conducting a “smear campaign” against its leadership.

Infantino’s bid has exposed a widening split within world football.

UEFA has been among his strongest critics, while several national associations have withdrawn or reconsidered their support. England, Wales and other European federations have been reported as distancing themselves from his re-election campaign.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has ruled out personally challenging Infantino but has indicated that another candidate could emerge to contest the election. CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani has also been mentioned as a possible challenger, although no rival has formally declared a candidacy so far.

Infantino nevertheless retains important support. African football associations unanimously backed his re-election at a CAF meeting in April, while the African and South American confederations remain among the regions where he has significant political support.

That support could prove crucial because the FIFA presidency is decided by the organisation’s 211 member associations.

The next FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March 2027 in Morocco, with candidates required to submit their nominations by November 18, 2026.

Infantino, who first became FIFA president in 2016 and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023, is seeking what would be his fourth and final term under FIFA’s term-limit rules.

His opponents, however, are increasingly turning the election into a referendum on FIFA’s governance, financial transparency and the concentration of power around the presidency.

For now, Infantino remains determined to stay in the race.

When questioned about his future at the opening of the Women’s Under-20 World Cup in Poland, he declined to discuss the leadership crisis in detail, saying there would be “a right place and a right time” to address it. FIFA subsequently made his position clear: nothing has changed regarding his intention to seek re-election.