'Football for all': Infantino unveils re-election slogan amid mounting pressure
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed his intention to stand for a fourth term at the helm of world football, revealing the slogan behind his re-election campaign at one of the most turbulent moments of his presidency to date.
Speaking in a filmed statement, Infantino declared his candidacy for the March 2027 election, choosing a message built around inclusion and global access to the sport rather than addressing the controversies currently swirling around his leadership.
"I will certainly be a candidate in the new elections. And my slogan is very simple: football belongs to everyone, everywhere in the world. This is what I believe in," Infantino said.
He elaborated further on the thinking behind the campaign, explaining that his central pitch to voters would focus on giving people worldwide the chance to dream and participate, while narrowing the gulf between football's wealthiest nations and everyone else.
The announcement lands at a particularly fraught moment for Infantino, whose leadership has come under sustained scrutiny following his controversial plan to sell marketing rights tied to the World Cup to a private company.
That proposal, since abandoned following coordinated pushback from UEFA and several other confederations, has left lasting damage to Infantino's standing among a number of influential European football federations.
France became the latest nation to formally withdraw its backing for his 2027 candidacy, joining England, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, all of whom had already distanced themselves from his re-election bid.
The French federation issued a statement explaining its reversal, noting that circumstances had shifted significantly since it first offered conditional support to Infantino as the then sole declared candidate for the presidency.
"Whilst support had initially been given to the Fifa president, who was then the sole candidate for his own succession, the conditions for that support are no longer met," the French federation said in its statement.
It went on to cite a series of governance related controversies involving Infantino directly, arguing these had run contrary to the values the sport is meant to represent, ultimately justifying the federation's decision to withdraw support entirely.
"A series of events directly involving Fifa's governance and its president, and in direct conflict with the fundamental principles of good governance and the values of football, occurred after the FFF expressed its support," the statement continued.
Infantino has led FIFA since February 2016, succeeding long serving predecessor Sepp Blatter, and now oversees an organisation comprising 211 member associations spread across every continent involved in the global game.
Should he secure victory in March 2027, the upcoming term would represent Infantino's fourth and reportedly final spell in charge, with the mandate expected to run through until 2031 before any further leadership transition takes place.