Infantino could face re-election challenge, UEFA boss Ceferin warns

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has rebuked FIFA president Gianni Infantino, urging him to acknowledge his European heritage after the latter criticized a plan to sell a stake in the World Cup. The World Football Federation (FIFA) had proposed creating a new company, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to handle commercial and ticketing rights for all FIFA competitions, with 21% to be sold to a private investment firm.

However, UEFA and its members strongly opposed the plan, causing FIFA to lose confidence in Infantino, with the football associations of all the home nations withdrawing their support. Ceferin dismissed Infantino's proposal as "even worse than the Super League plan," stating that it would be akin to selling the sport that belongs to everyone.

He emphasized that UEFA had no prior knowledge of Infantino's plan and that he only learned about it through the media while on vacation with his family. Infantino, who has been seeking public support worldwide, met with Caribbean Football Union members in the Dominican Republic and attended the E-Sports World Cup in Paris, where he was accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ceferin confirmed that he would not run for FIFA president in March 2027, when Infantino seeks a fourth term, citing his love for UEFA and the desire to enjoy life after 16 years and 9 years of service at UEFA, respectively. The incident involving US striker Folarin Balogun, whose red-card suspension was overturned due to President Donald Trump's intervention, further strained their relationship, with Ceferin describing Trump's actions as "shocking."