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FIFA’s Infantino ineligible for re-election, says former governance chief
Former FIFA governance committee head Miguel Maduro says Gianni Infantino is ineligible to seek a fourth term in 2027, arguing the statutes limit presidents to three terms and make no exception for a shortened term. The dispute matters because FIFA’s interpretation of the rules could determine whether Infantino, whose re-election bid has gained strong support, can remain president.
Infantino was first elected in 2016 after Sepp Blatter resigned, then re-elected in 2019 and 2023. FIFA’s Council ruled in 2022 that the 2016–19 period did not count towards his term limit, but FairSquare says the reasoning was not made public and has urged member associations to challenge his eligibility. The organisation contacted 52 associations ahead of the candidacy deadline; Maduro also criticised FIFA’s oversight of presidential power and said associations were reluctant to act amid a “climate of fear”.
In short
- A former FIFA governance chief says Infantino cannot seek a fourth term.
- FIFA ruled that his 2016–19 spell did not count towards the limit.
- FairSquare is urging member associations to challenge his eligibility.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Maduro’s reading is that FIFA’s three-term limit applies to every period in office, including a shortened one, because the statutes reportedly provide no exception. Treating Infantino’s first period as a term would honour the limit’s purpose, while the Council’s unpublished reasoning for excluding it makes the decision harder for member associations to scrutinise.
The case against
FIFA’s Council ruled that Infantino’s 2016–19 period did not count towards the limit, so the strongest case for his eligibility rests on that formal interpretation of the statutes. Supporters could argue that a shortened period following Blatter’s resignation should be treated differently from a full elected term, and that a decision by FIFA’s governing body provides a basis for Infantino to seek re-election unless it is overturned.
Explained simply
FIFA is the international body that runs football’s main competitions, including the men’s World Cup. Its president leads the organisation and is elected by representatives of FIFA’s member associations, which are national football governing bodies.
Gianni Infantino became president in 2016 after Sepp Blatter resigned, and was re-elected in 2019 and 2023. FIFA’s rules limit presidents to three terms, but its Council decided that Infantino’s first period in office, which began part-way through a term, would not count towards that limit.
The dispute centres on how those rules should be applied and who has authority to interpret them. The answer could affect whether Infantino can stand again and how FIFA’s member associations oversee the powers of its president.
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