Football: Ceferin (UEFA) will not challenge Infantino for the FIFA presidency

Aleksander Ceferin, the president of the powerful European football confederation (UEFA) and one of the main opponents of FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, has announced that he will not be a candidate against him in the next election.

Gianni Infantino has been mired in a crisis since the failure of his controversial and ultimately abandoned plan to open the global body to private investors.

UEFA President since 2016, Ceferin announced that he would not seek re-election in the next election in March 2027, in an interview with the British podcast The Rest is Politics.

"I am not interested" in the FIFA presidency, Ceferin said. "I love UEFA and the work I do there," he explained, adding that his "credibility (as an opponent of Infantino) is much greater if I am not interested in that position."

The 58-year-old Slovenian, whose term as UEFA president ends in 2027, adds that he wants to "enjoy life", but has so far kept everyone guessing about whether or not he will run again.

Under his leadership, UEFA announced that it would boycott all of the world body's competitions - including the World Cups - a threat reiterated despite the withdrawal of Infantino's project, whose departure from his post the European body wants.

"The first option is that he realizes he does not have the support (necessary for his re-election). (...) The other option is that he participates in the vote, but in that case, I think we will have a candidate against him. I don't know who yet," explains Ceferin, who says he has not spoken since the beginning of the crisis with the Italian-Swiss, former general secretary of UEFA.

According to various media outlets, Canadian Victor Montagliani, the president of Concacaf (Confederation of North American and Caribbean Association Football), could be an opposition candidate to Infantino.

- Counter-attack -

Along with UEFA, Concacaf is the confederation that most loudly voices its opposition to the FIFA president, as does the Asian AFC, the three confederations having recently signed a joint text to "rally the football family" behind their cause.

"We want to develop football in each of our 211 member federations around the world. Some, unfortunately, don't need this, and don't want others to progress, but we have to reduce the gap between the big countries and everyone else," Infantino, who met with Montagliani this weekend at a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) meeting in the Dominican Republic, said in an interview published by FIFA on Sunday.

"What I'm hearing is that they (FIFA) are playing the 'arrogant Europe is against us' card," Ceferin says in the podcast. "But I think someone should remind (Infantino) that he is European, and that he was backed by UEFA."

Faced with the outcry sparked by his plan to open the sport to private investors, the Italian-Swiss businessman counterattacked by convening a crisis meeting in Rabat in early August. FIFA's leadership reiterated its "full support" while offering "apologies" for the controversy generated by the project.

France's No. 3 at FIFA, Kevin Lamour, who had disavowed Infantino's project, has left his position, it was learned last week.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has "unanimously reaffirmed its support" for Infantino.

And Donald Trump, the US president and a close friend of the sports executive, has joined the debates, warning that "FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, it considered" replacing this "formidable" man.

"It is important to get involved, to engage in dialogue, to express one's views and opinions," said Gianni Infantino from the Dominican Republic, stating that "a lot has happened in recent weeks."

"I think overall it's positive, I'm very, very happy with all the support I'm receiving," he added.

The FIFA presidential election will take place in Rabat. Infantino is currently the only declared candidate. He must secure a majority of the 211 votes from the organization's members to be re-elected.