Ex-Spurs player Vega set to run for FIFA president

Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega announced his intent to run for the FIFA presidency in the upcoming election. Vega, 55, is the first individual to confirm his candidacy, challenging incumbent Gianni Infantino, who has faced criticism for his controversial stake sale proposal in the World Cup. Vega, a former Swiss centre-back, has also played for Celtic and Watford and has a background in finance.

In his candidacy statement, Vega pledged to reunite the global football community, modernize FIFA for the 21st century, restore stability and credibility, and rebuild trust in the sport. Meanwhile, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, wrote to Infantino, distancing himself from an external review of FIFA's governance system.

Instead, Salman proposed that FIFA's council establish a working group to explore potential reforms. This shift in stance comes after the AFC president signed a joint letter with UEFA and CONCACAF heads, accusing Infantino of breaking trust through deception over the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan.