UEFA's Čeferin Rules Out FIFA Presidency Run, Says Infantino Faces Quit-or-Fight Choice

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin ruled himself out of running against Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency, telling The Rest Is Politics podcast 'my credibility is much, much, much higher if I'm not interested in the position,' adding he'd rather 'enjoy life a bit' than pursue the job. Čeferin predicted Infantino faces a contested March 2027 election, framing it as two scenarios: either Infantino 'recognizes his lack of support and steps down,' or 'he will have a candidate against him.' Potential challengers discussed include AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (who lost to Infantino in the 2016 election), CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani — who a day earlier had unsuccessfully asked Infantino to skip a Caribbean Football Union event — and CAF president Patrice Motsepe, though Motsepe has publicly backed Infantino. The FIFA presidential candidacy deadline is Nov 18, 2026, ahead of the March 18, 2027 vote in Rabat. The crisis stems from Infantino's abandoned plan to sell 20% of World Cup commercial rights to private investors, which UEFA, the AFC, and CONCACAF jointly condemned as a breach of trust.