Story summary
On Wednesday, UEFA convened its 55 member federations at a summit in Berlin on Thursday, aiming to strategize against FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The meeting was prompted by Infantino's controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments, which quickly faced backlash. UEFA outlined criteria for their preferred candidate to replace Infantino: someone who is respected globally, unifying, deeply rooted in football, committed to reform, integrity, and independence. It remains uncertain who will fit these criteria, as Aleksander Ceferin, UEFA's president, confirmed he won't run against Infantino for the FIFA presidency next year. UEFA also plans to pursue legal action, including a potential criminal complaint in Switzerland, over financial mismanagement linked to the World Cup deal.
Written for “UEFA Anti Infantino Campaign” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
European football’s governing body UEFA has detailed the kind of president it wants to replace Gianni Infantino with to run FIFA – “a respected and unifying figure, deeply rooted in football”.
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it → detail → football
A candidate who “represents FIFA globally and provides leadership without exercising management functions,” UEFA said on Thursday, after a meeting of its 55 member federations that shaped a strategy to find an opponent for Infantino before a November 18 deadline.
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that → represent → deadline
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Exactly who that candidate could be was not discussed on Thursday, though it will not be UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin – and potentially not be European – in the search for global votes among the 211 FIFA-member federations.
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it → discuss → federations
Ceferin did use the meeting to confirm he will stand for re-election for a fourth and final term next April 22 in Astana, Kazakhstan.
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he → use → Astana
Like Ceferin, Infantino was also elected in 2016 and seeks a fourth term through to 2031.
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Infantino → elect → 2031
Slovenian lawyer Ceferin has led global efforts by football officials since July to oust Infantino from his increasingly executive-style presidency before or at the FIFA election next March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.
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Ceferin → lead → Rabat
Infantino’s secretive and quickly defeated plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other tournaments to private investors pushed UEFA’s long-held unease with FIFA projects and governance towards running a rival candidate against him.
“FIFA also needs new leadership: a respected and unifying figure, deeply rooted in football, with the vision and experience to lead, the ability to command confidence across regions and an unequivocal commitment to development, reform, integrity and independence,” UEFA said in a statement after the daylong meeting in Berlin.
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UEFA → defeat → Berlin
UEFA repeated an earlier promise that all of FIFA’s members should receive a one-off $10m dividend from the governing body’s reserves.
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all → repeat → reserves
FIFA’s cash reserves stand at close to $6bn after the lucrative men’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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reserves → stand → States
UEFA flags concern about ‘executive interference’ at FIFA
Addressing doubts about the integrity of some World Cup decisions by FIFA, the UEFA slate of future changes urged that “appointments and work of FIFA’s oversight bodies are protected from presidential or executive interference”.
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appointments → flag → interference
FIFA’s handling of World Cup red card or player eligibility cases for Cristiano Ronaldo, United States forward Folarin Balogun and Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi has provoked global concern.
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handling → provoke → concern
Concerns about Infantino intervening in field-of-play issues date to FIFA adding Lionel Messi’s team, Inter Miami, to the 2025 Club World Cup when it was not the Major League Soccer champion – and after no clear consultation or process to make the decision.
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it → intervene → decision
UEFA said its reforms list for FIFA was backed by all of its members except Azerbaijan, which has pledged its vote to Infantino.
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which → say → Infantino
One of Infantino’s key aides in his globetrotting election campaign is from Azerbaijan.
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One → globetrotte → Azerbaijan
In a pointed suggestion, UEFA’s list of possible reforms included: “No FIFA resources may be used for personal or electoral interests”.
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resources → include → interests
Infantino reminds African voters of their FIFA money
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Infantino → remind → money
While UEFA was deciding its strategy against Infantino, its former longtime employee was in Cape Verde getting a standing ovation at a meeting of the 54 FIFA member federations from Africa.
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employee → decide → Africa
The applause was urged by FIFA Vice President Patrice Motsepe to members of the Confederation of African Football he leads.
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he → urge → Football
Infantino had minutes earlier reminded his voters of investments FIFA made for African football since he was elected in February 2016.
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he → remind → February
“With the FIFA Forward programme we have invested, in 10 years, 1 billion US dollars in Africa, 500 million in the last four years.
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we → invest → years
,” Infantino said.
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Infantino → say → ?
“We need to continue, of course together, on this path.”
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We → need → path
Vega tries again to be a FIFA presidential candidate
One person who said this week he does want to run against Infantino is former Switzerland and Tottenham defender Ramon Vega.
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he → try → Infantino
It would be Vega’s second attempt to challenge Infantino after he failed to get the required five voting federations to support an application in 2019.
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federations → challenge → 2019
It is unclear if Vega meets the eligibility test of having had a recognised role in football for at least two of the past five years.
uncertain
Vega → meet → years
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