Who Will Lead FIFA Next? Everything You Need To Know About The Presidency Race

The race for the FIFA presidency is beginning to gather momentum, with incumbent Gianni Infantino expected to seek re-election in March 2027 despite questions over the number of terms he has already served.

Under FIFA’s statutes, a president can serve a maximum of three four-year terms. However, Infantino has maintained that the three-year period he served after succeeding Sepp Blatter in 2016 should not be counted as a full term.

That interpretation enabled him to contest the 2019 and 2023 elections, both of which he won unopposed. He is now expected to rely on the same interpretation to seek another term in 2027.

The election is scheduled for March 18, 2027, during the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco.

How the Election Will Be Decided

Any candidate seeking to challenge Infantino must submit a nomination by November 18 and provide at least five letters of support from FIFA member associations.

The election will be conducted by secret ballot among FIFA’s 211 member associations.

If only two candidates contest, the winner will require a simple majority.

Where three or more candidates are involved, a contender must initially secure at least 75 per cent of the votes to win outright. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated and another round of voting held until two candidates remain.

The final winner will then be determined by a simple majority.

Infantino Still Favourite

Despite criticism from some parts of world football, Infantino remains widely regarded as the favourite to retain the FIFA presidency.

He has continued to strengthen relationships with national football associations through frequent international engagements.

Financial support for member associations through FIFA’s Forward programme is also considered an important factor in the race.

Under the current FIFA Forward 3.0 programme, each national association can receive up to $8 million during the four-year cycle to support football development projects. The programme represents a 30 per cent increase from the previous funding cycle.

A further increase is expected under the next edition, FIFA Forward 4.0, potentially giving Infantino additional support among associations outside Europe.

Where the Confederations Stand

Support for Infantino varies across FIFA’s six continental confederations.

Africa: The continent’s 54 member associations have unanimously backed Infantino’s re-election bid.

Europe: UEFA’s 55 member associations remain among his strongest critics, although it is unclear whether all members would vote as a single bloc.

Asia: The 46-member Asian Football Confederation criticised the FIFA Football Enterprise controversy alongside UEFA. Jordan has so far been the only Asian country to publicly state that it will not support Infantino.

CONCACAF: The 35-member confederation has also expressed criticism, although Mexico has publicly backed Infantino. It remains uncertain whether the region will adopt a unified position.

Oceania: The Oceania Football Confederation, which has 11 members, has yet to announce its official position. Its president, Lambert Maltock, previously praised Infantino’s leadership and investment in grassroots football.

South America: CONMEBOL continues to provide strong support for Infantino, despite previously warning that future controversies could affect its backing. Argentina and Paraguay are among the countries that have publicly endorsed him.

With the nomination deadline approaching, attention will now focus on whether a credible challenger emerges and whether Infantino’s opponents can unite around a single candidate capable of threatening his bid for another term.