UEFA is pushing al-Khelaïfi to run against Infantino for the FIFA presidency

The crisis surrounding the creation and sale of a FIFA commercial company has exacerbated the conflict between UEFA and Gianni Infantino. Despite the support of the European governing body, Nasser al-Khelaïfi is not expected to run for the presidency against the current FIFA president.

In open conflict with Gianni Infantino, UEFA is searching for a candidate to oppose him in the March 2027 presidential election. The need to find a challenger to the head of world football seems to have become almost imperative after the announcement of the controversial plan to create and then sell a commercial FIFA company (FFE). And as reported by Politico and confirmed by RMC Sport, continental football leaders are considering Nasser al-Khelaïfi as a potential candidate.

But, as RMC Sport reported in mid-July, this is not at all the trend on the part of the PSG president. This stance and refusal to enter the presidential race against Gianni Infantino was confirmed on Wednesday by a source close to the Qatari businessman.

"Nasser has absolutely no ambition, no intention, and no interest in this role at FIFA," asserted this close associate of the Parisian president. "He will continue to discreetly support all the institutions of world and European football."

>> All the information on Infantino's controversial project at FIFA

Al-Khelaïfi ticks many boxes to run for FIFA, but…

President of PSG, two-time holder of the Champions League title and also president of the European Club Association (EFC), a powerful union that has publicly opposed the project to sell shares of FIFA and the World Cup, Nasser al-Khelaïfi ticks many boxes to be a credible candidate to head FIFA.

In addition to his expertise in European football, the Qatari executive also has extensive support in Asia through Qatar and is intimately familiar with the media world due to his role as chairman of BeIN Media Group. These positions make him a suitable candidate, in the eyes of some UEFA leaders, to challenge Gianni Infantino before the FIFA elections in March 2027.

As early as mid-July, for RMC Sport, a close associate of Nasser al-Khelaïfi denounced a "media frenzy" surrounding a possible candidacy of the PSG president on the side of FIFA.

Infantino is the overwhelming favorite for the 2027 FIFA election

Focused on his activities at PSG and EFC, Nasser al-Khelaïfi is unlikely to be aiming for the FIFA presidency. It's also difficult to imagine the Qatari executive launching a candidacy just a few months before the election, especially if his chances of winning remain slim, likely due to Gianni Infantino's control over world football. If he were to enter the race, which doesn't seem likely at present, Nasser al-Khelaïfi would face a formidable challenge.

FIFA President for the past 10 years, Gianni Infantino has built a strong network within the organization and at almost every level. During his two terms, the Swiss national has achieved a significant increase in the organization's revenue, and consequently, in the funds distributed to national federations. This economic success, even before the opening of the FFE's capital to private partners, has earned him a very special reputation among many member associations.

Gianni Infantino has already received the support of numerous African, Asian, and South American federations for the March 2027 election. Despite the potential support of a majority (though not necessarily all) of the 55 European federations, Nasser al-Khelaïfi would still have a lot of work to do to convince the remaining FIFA member associations (211 in total). And a candidacy for the PSG president for FIFA would also mean an election campaign where all the compromising issues could resurface.