FIFA’s Infantino ineligible for re-election, says former governance chief

What the report says

Former FIFA governance committee head Miguel Maduro said Gianni Infantino should not be allowed to seek a fourth term as FIFA president in 2027, arguing that the organization’s statutes limit any president to three terms. His comments, reported by Reuters and carried by Al Jazeera, came as FIFA’s deadline for presidential candidacies approaches for the March 2027 election.

Maduro said the relevant statute is clear and does not distinguish between full and shortened terms. He disputed the interpretation that allowed Infantino’s first period in office, beginning in 2016 after Sepp Blatter resigned, not to count toward the limit. FIFA’s Council previously said in 2022 that the 2016-2019 period would not count as a term, a position that critics, including the campaign group FairSquare, say was never fully explained.

FairSquare has urged FIFA member associations to challenge Infantino’s eligibility, and its director said the group has contacted dozens of associations. The organization also plans to meet Norwegian football officials, after Norway’s football association previously supported a complaint involving Infantino and political neutrality rules. Maduro said many associations are hesitant to act because of what he described as a climate of fear.

The dispute matters because Infantino has strong backing across FIFA’s confederations and appears well placed for another run, while the case raises broader questions about governance, accountability and how FIFA interprets its own rules.