Gianni Infantino confirms his candidacy for a fourth term FIFA 2027 nonostante pressioni UEFA

Gianni Infantino is running for a fourth term in the FIFA Presidential election in March 2027, despite pressure from UEFA and some member federations.

The information was confirmed by FIFA on September 6, after speculation arose that Infantino might abandon his plans to run for re-election because of the crisis related to FIFA's plan to sell shares in tournaments to private investors.

"The FIFA president announced in April that he will run for a new term in 2027. Of course, nothing has changed. Mr. Infantino will run," a FIFA spokesman told AS newspaper.

Infantino, 56 years old, is currently in Poland to watch the U20 Women's World Cup. When asked by reporters about the future, he did not answer directly. However, FIFA later confirmed that the President's election plan remained the same.

The election is scheduled to take place on March 18, 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. Candidates who want to compete with Infantino must declare their intention to run before November 18 this year.

If re-elected, Infantino will continue to lead world football until 2031. He began serving as FIFA President in 2016, after being elected to replace Sepp Blatter. His current term is considered a third term, with the first term only lasting the remainder of the term left unfinished by Blatter.

Infantino is facing his biggest challenge since coming to power. UEFA led the effort to have him step down, while the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Concacaf have also withdrawn their support for the Swiss leader.

The conflict escalated after FIFA promoted a plan to allow private investors to buy shares in some tournaments, including the World Cup. This idea faced strong reactions from many sides, forcing FIFA to abandon the plan.

Last month, European nations also withdrew their threat to boycott FIFA tournaments after receiving assurances that similar efforts to change the nature of football would not be made again. However, UEFA continues to pressure Infantino to leave his position.

Meanwhile, Infantino is looking to consolidate support from member federations. He has made many business trips in recent weeks, emphasizing FIFA's need to increase revenue and investment back into national football federations. He also came to Vietnam to watch the second leg of the ASEAN Cup final on August 26, then stayed another day to visit football facilities in Hanoi.

This is an important point in the FIFA Presidential race because the 211 member federations all have one vote with equal weight. According to the Guardian, Infantino is currently the only candidate who has officially announced his candidacy.

The most mentioned opponent is Victor Montagliani, President of Concacaf and one of the Vice Presidents of FIFA. Montagliani was once considered a close ally of Infantino, but has gradually distanced himself after controversy over FIFA's plan to attract private capital into tournaments. He is considered capable of representing the group of unions that are opposing Infantino.

However, Infantino still receives significant support. Saudi Arabia, host of the 2034 World Cup, publicly sided with him last month. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) are also said to support Infantino.

To be re-elected, Infantino needs to win more than a majority of the votes of 211 FIFA member associations. That means he needs at least 106 votes if all members participate and vote validly.

Infantino has won overwhelmingly in previous elections. In 2016, he defeated Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa to become FIFA President. In 2019, he was re-elected without an opponent. In 2023, Infantino continued to be re-elected in an election with no competing candidates.

If he wins in March 2027, Infantino will have another term lasting until 2031. This will also be his last term under current term limits.