Swiss Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), confirmed that he will continue his candidacy for re-election in March 2027, despite the increasing pressure he is facing to resign due to his attempt to sell shares in FIFA tournaments to private investors.
According to Sky Sports, on Sunday, Infantino refused to step down from his position, amid expectations that he will face a competitor in the elections that will be held during the FIFA Congress in Morocco next year, while those wishing to compete with him will have until November 18 to announce their intention to run.
A FIFA spokesman explicitly confirmed Infantino’s position, explaining that the president of the International Federation announced since last April his intention to run in the 2027 elections, and that his position has not changed, and he will be a candidate for re-election.
The confirmation of Infantino's candidacy comes at a time when he is under pressure from vice-presidents of FIFA in Asia, Europe and North America, against the backdrop of the crisis that followed the project to introduce private investors into the assets and tournaments of the international federation.
Last month, European countries withdrew their threat to boycott FIFA competitions after receiving guarantees that similar attempts to change the structure of the game would not be repeated, while the European Football Association continues to lead an international movement aimed at pushing Infantino to leave his position.
In recent weeks, Infantino has invested in his foreign tours in highlighting the money that FIFA has succeeded in collecting and the investments that it has pumped into national football federations, each of which has an equal vote in the elections for the presidency of the International Federation, regardless of its size or footballing weight.
This week, Infantino attended the U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland, but he refused to answer questions about his future or the current dispute with UEFA.
The teams participating in the Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin were exposed to an emergency situation in the early hours of Sunday morning, after a fire alarm went off in the hotel where most of the teams were staying.
The alarm went off after two o'clock in the morning local time, and all the teams were forced to leave the hotel and wait in the street until the end of the state of emergency was announced. Before allowing the players to return to their rooms at around three in the morning.
All the teams stay in the same hotel with the exception of the US team, the most prominent candidate for the title, which includes a number of professional NBA stars, including Caitlin Clark; So he chose to stay in another hotel.
Bayern Munich goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, was not bothered by the jeers with which Schalke fans greeted him during his return to Gelsenkirchen, in what may be his last match against his former club, which ended in a goalless draw between the two teams, on Saturday evening, in the German Football League.
“Actually, this is a compliment to me,” Neuer said after the match. It is an expression of love. “Every booing every time I touched the ball was a compliment.”
Neuer played for only two clubs throughout his career, and still maintains a special relationship with Schalke, despite 15 years having passed since his move to Bayern Munich.
He added: “I have played here for more than 20 years, so today was very emotional for me, and it was really special. But of course I was hoping to return to Munich with the three points.”
Schalke is playing its first season in the Bundesliga after returning to the first division, after three years in the second division, while Neuer is approaching the end of his professional career.
Schalke, returning to the top flight, got an unexpected point against Bayern, who holds the record for the number of league crowns, while Neuer was not tested much during the match, and Loris Karius, Schalke's goalkeeper, was the star of the match after he blocked several dangerous opportunities for the Bavarian club.
Neuer said about Karius: “He is the right choice for the (Man of the Match) award. He saved all three big chances we had. “That was the deciding factor.”
For his part, Schalke coach Miron Muslić admitted that his team benefited from some luck, explaining: “In the end, it was definitely a lucky point, but we gave everything we had for Schalke, and this is what makes us strong.”
