Infantino's FIFA 2027 re-election bid challenged over term limit

Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president has been formally challenged, with FairSquare arguing that he has already served the maximum three terms allowed under FIFA’s statutes. Infantino is expected to seek the 2027-31 mandate at the FIFA Congress in Morocco on March 18 next year.

The organisation submitted its complaint to FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee. It disputes FIFA’s 2022 decision to exclude Infantino’s first period in office from the term count. He became president in 2016 after Sepp Blatter resigned, but argued that he was completing Blatter’s remaining mandate rather than beginning his own first term.

FairSquare says that interpretation conflicts with the rules governing the presidency. The group has also questioned why the legal reasoning behind the 2022 decision was not made public. The decision was announced two days before the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Miguel Maduro, who previously chaired FIFA’s independent Governance and Review Committee, helped prepare the submission. He said term limits were central to the reforms introduced in 2016 to prevent power becoming concentrated in the president’s office. The challenge argues that allowing an exception for Infantino would weaken that principle.

The eligibility dispute comes as Infantino faces separate criticism over a proposed $20 billion subsidiary intended to bring private investment into FIFA competitions. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf asked for a review of his conduct last week. The three confederations were also viewed as potentially offering him a route to leave the presidency.

Resistance has emerged from national football organisations as well. Ian Maxwell, chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, said his federation would not support Infantino’s re-election. Despite the opposition, the FIFA president continues to have the backing of the South American and African confederations, leaving his 2027 campaign facing a challenge over both eligibility and political support.