Gianni Infantino Seeks Fourth FIFA Term Despite Revolt Over Abandoned World Cup Stake Sale

Gianni Infantino will seek re‑election as FIFA president in March 2027, setting up a potential fourth term that would keep him in charge of world football until 2031, even after a major revolt over his abandoned plan to sell a stake in a new World Cup commercial vehicle.

FIFA has confirmed the election will take place at its 77th Congress in Rabat, Morocco, on 18 March.

Candidates must submit their nominations by 18 November, but Infantino is currently the only declared candidate. His decision to stand comes after months of tension with several major regional confederations over an abandoned plan to sell a stake in a new FIFA commercial subsidiary to private investors.

The proposal, which involved an American investment fund linked to Joshua Kushner, was withdrawn within days of details becoming public.

Investment Plan Collapses Within Days

The FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan emerged in late July 2026. It would have transferred commercial and ticketing rights for the men's, women's and Club World Cups to a new subsidiary.

FIFA proposed selling a 20% to 21% non‑controlling stake in the new subsidiary, which was valued at about $20 billion (£15 billion), to raise up to roughly $4.2 billion (£3.2 billion) in fresh capital. The lead investor was reported to be Thrive Eternal, a fund founded by Kushner and based in New York.

As part of the proposal, each of FIFA's 211 member associations was offered a one‑off payment of $20 million if the deal went ahead.

The plan drew strong opposition from football leaders. Infantino's senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, resigned and emergency meetings were held within FIFA and the confederations. Infantino abandoned the proposal four days after it emerged.

Confederations Unite Against Infantino

UEFA became the leading opponent of the plan. Its 55 member associations voted to boycott FIFA competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups, while the proposal remained under consideration.

UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation later issued a joint letter accusing FIFA of damaging trust through what they described as deception.

CONCACAF also held an emergency meeting at which its members rejected the proposal.

UEFA withdrew its boycott threat on 27 August after receiving binding assurances that the private equity plan would not be revived.

The dispute with Infantino has continued, however. The English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish football associations have all publicly withdrawn their support for his re‑election.

Legal Dispute Spreads to US and Switzerland

UEFA has filed urgent discovery applications in US federal courts, including the Southern District of Florida, where FIFA's US entities are named in the proceedings. It is seeking testimony and documents related to the proposal. Kushner and his fund, Thrive Capital, are separately named in a related filing in New York.

The confederation says it intends to use the material to support a possible criminal complaint in Switzerland over alleged financial mismanagement linked to FFE. UEFA has also said it has been assured that the case meets the threshold for a Swiss court to hear it.

FIFA has disputed UEFA's approach. In US court filings, it accused the confederation of pursuing a 'smear campaign' and a 'fishing expedition'. FIFA has also stressed that no criminal proceedings are currently under way in Switzerland.

Montagliani Emerges as Likely Challenger

No candidate has formally declared against Infantino, but CONCACAF president and FIFA vice‑president Victor Montagliani is regarded as a possible challenger. Montagliani was previously considered an Infantino ally but has since distanced himself from the FFE proposal.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out of the election. UEFA has nevertheless said it remains confident that a credible challenger can be found before the November deadline. A candidate needs a simple majority of 106 votes from FIFA's 211 member associations to win.

Infantino Retains Key Allies

Infantino continues to have important support within FIFA as the African confederation, CAF, and South America's CONMEBOL back his candidacy. Saudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 World Cup, also supports him.

US President Donald Trump has publicly defended Infantino, describing him as 'fantastic' and saying replacing him would be a 'terrible mistake'. Infantino's links to Trump have themselves attracted criticism. He faced a backlash after awarding Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the World Cup draw in Washington, DC.

Trump also said he had asked Infantino to overturn a suspension imposed on US player Folarin Balogun. The episode prompted an ethics complaint to the Olympic ethics body.

Infantino Bypasses Three-Term Limit

FIFA's rules normally limit its president to three four‑year terms. Infantino has argued that his first period in office should not count towards that limit. He became president in February 2016 following Sepp Blatter's resignation.

Infantino argued that he had completed Blatter's 'interrupted mandate', rather than serving a full term of his own. FIFA accepted that interpretation in 2022. His 2019 and 2023 victories are therefore treated as his first and second terms, allowing him to seek what FIFA considers a third full term in March 2027.