UEFA is looking for challengers for FIFA President Gianni Infantino

UEFA seeks Infantino challengers - Deadline in November October 9, 2026 "There needs to be a candidate who will unite football again outside of Europe and bring all confederations together," said UEFA Vice-President Laura McAllister on Thursday after a meeting of the European football association in Berlin. "There needs to be someone who is honest, who strengthens governance. Anyone from anywhere in the world could be this person." European football associations met in the German capital and there, among other things, decided on a roadmap for the desired replacement of Gianni Infantino. The already controversial FIFA president was finally in disgrace during and after the Football World Cup because he initially - apparently at the behest of US President Donald Trump - ensured that the veto for the US national player Folarin Balogun was lifted. Shortly after the World Cup, Infantino revealed his plan to sell FIFA rights to an investor group of the brother of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Associations that agreed would be equipped with a higher amount of funding than those that rejected the plan. After much criticism and also due to a boycott threat by UEFA for all FIFA competitions, Infantino backed down and abandoned his plan. UEFA seeks suitable alternatives Infantino should go, this is what UEFA largely agrees on. At the meeting in Berlin, the European associations decided unanimously on a plan for reforms in the World Federation with the exception of Azerbaijan. "Clear institutional changes must be made to help FIFA achieve a truly democratic structure," said DFB President Bernd Neuendorf. There must be a clear separation of powers, and FIFA must not get involved in independent bodies. In the next election for FIFA President, which is scheduled for March 18, 2027, the Europeans want to put a challenger in the race to end Infantino's reign after eleven years. However, a name is still missing while the requirements are clearly outlined. "From my point of view, the profile of the right leader is actually quite uncomplicated," said McAllister to the microphone of Deutsche Welle. "It must be someone with integrity who has a vision to further strengthen and deepen FIFA's leadership and control structures, as we have proposed today." Alexander Ceferin, the President of UEFA, had refused to run against Infantino himself. The Canadian Victor Montagliani, President of the association of North and Central America and the Caribbean, is also expected to step down from a candidacy for FIFA President according to media reports. Both want to run for re-election as president of their continental association instead. Deadline by mid-November Nevertheless, a candidate or candidate should be found by November 18, as then the FIFA application period ends. The UEFA executive committee will meet at the beginning of November, followed by further coordination among all 55 member associations. A direct meeting between the UEFA top officials and Infantino is already scheduled for next week. On October 15, Ceferin and Neuendorf will travel to the meeting of the FIFA Council at the World Federation's headquarters in Zurich, among other things. There, the European representatives want to clarify their views. Furthermore, the future of the FIFA Peace Prize, which Infantino awarded to US President Trump, is also on the agenda, which has also caused massive criticism. Infantino is meanwhile collecting support worldwide. On Instagram, he repeatedly posts pictures from his global tour where he meets officials from all over the world. In parallel with the UEFA conference in Berlin, Infantino secured the unanimous backing of the African associations at a meeting in Cape Verde. The associations of South America and much of the Ocean are still on his side. Asia, however, is divided. In the March election, each of the total 211 FIFA member associations has exactly one vote. UEFA forms the largest bloc with 55 votes, closely followed by the African continental association CAF with 54 votes. From Asia's AFC come 46 votes, CONCACAF for North and Central America and the Caribbean has 35 votes. In addition, the OCF from Oceania has eleven and the South American CONMEBOL has ten votes.