Demand at FIFA: Disqualify Infantino from running in the next elections

A human rights and governance organization has sent an official letter to the FIFA Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee, demanding that the incumbent president, Gianni Infantino, be declared ineligible to run in the upcoming presidential elections. The organization claims that another run by Infantino would constitute a direct violation of the organization's statutes, which limit the president's tenure to only three terms.

Infantino was first elected to the position in 2016 to replace Sepp Blatter, who resigned following a corruption scandal, and was re-elected in 2019 and 2023. However, in 2022, the FIFA Council approved a legal position stating that the years 2016–2019 do not count as a full term, as it was intended only to complete Blatter's original term. This determination is what paved the way for him to announce his intention to run for a fourth term, which would extend his tenure until 2031.

In the letter sent by the organization, it is argued that the FIFA statutes do not exclude partial terms and do not distinguish between elections at an ordinary congress and elections at an extraordinary congress. According to FairSquare, the interpretation provided by FIFA contradicts the spirit of the 2016 reforms, which were intended to prevent prolonged concentration of power, corruption, and lack of transparency. The complaint is supported by the Norwegian Football Federation, while criticism of Infantino's leadership has also been expressed within UEFA, CONCACAF, and the Asian Football Confederation.

The demand for his removal from the race comes against the backdrop of a series of recent controversies surrounding Infantino's presidency, including the promotion of a plan to sell a percentage of FIFA's commercial and event rights to the investment fund Thrive Capital. No official response to the inquiry has yet been received from FIFA.