Former FIFA Governance Chief Questions Infantino's Eligibility for 2027 Election

Former FIFA governance chief Miguel Maduro stated on Tuesday that FIFA President Gianni Infantino is legally ineligible to run for another term in 2027 under the sport's governing statutes. Maduro cited Article 33, paragraph two of the FIFA regulations, which explicitly limits any individual from serving as president for more than three terms in total.

According to Maduro, the text of the statute provides no exceptions for shortened or incomplete mandates. Infantino first assumed office in 2016 following the resignation of Sepp Blatter to complete an interrupted term, before winning subsequent re-elections. Maduro argued that because Infantino has held the presidency across three distinct terms, any further mandate would directly conflict with the written rules.

In December 2022, the FIFA Council unanimously ruled that Infantino’s initial period from 2016 to 2019 should not count against his three-term limit. Human rights organisation FairSquare noted that the official rationale behind this determination was never made public. Ahead of the deadline for candidacies for the March 2027 presidential election, FairSquare has formally contacted 52 national football associations, calling on them to declare the incumbent ineligible.

Nicholas McGeehan, co-founder and director of FairSquare, stated that representatives were set to meet with officials from the Norwegian Football Federation on Wednesday. The Norwegian association previously backed an official complaint alleging that Infantino breached political neutrality guidelines. McGeehan noted that while Norway had engaged FIFA oversight committees, additional member associations would also need to take steps to enforce basic regulations.

Maduro, who was removed from his FIFA governance role in 2017 after blocking Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko from running for FIFA's council, stated that internal mechanisms designed to control presidential authority have lost effectiveness. Russian authorities have not commented on Maduro's past decisions regarding Mutko. Despite the legal challenges, Infantino maintains widespread support among FIFA’s 211 member associations, having recently secured an endorsement from the head of Asian football.

Written by Freya Stensrud freya.stensrud@alpineweekly.com