In Copenhagen, where Europe’s leading clubs gathered to consider their place in the wider game, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi removed his name from any possible contest with Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency in 2027. The Paris Saint-Germain president said the role holds no appeal for him, leaving European football without two of its most prominent figures as potential challengers.
Key takeaways
- Nasser Al-Khelaïfi has ruled out standing for FIFA president in the March 2027 election.
- The PSG chairman said he has neither ambition nor an agenda to take the job.
- Aleksander Ceferin has also dismissed the prospect of running against Gianni Infantino.
- FIFA presidential nominations must be submitted by 18 November.
- The election is scheduled for 18 March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco.
European clubs back Ceferin’s leadership
Al-Khelaïfi, who leads European Clubs and sits on UEFA’s Executive Committee, used the organisation’s assembly in the Danish capital to make his position emphatic. “I have zero interest in FIFA, zero ambition and no agenda to be there,” he said. “I do not think I am the right person for that post, and honestly I do not want to take it on. I enjoy what I do. FIFA is not for me.”
His intervention comes during a strained period between UEFA and FIFA. Al-Khelaïfi has publicly supported UEFA president Ceferin, who again questioned Infantino’s leadership at the Copenhagen meeting and argued that aspects of international football’s decision-making process need to change.
Ceferin, the Slovenian who has also rejected the idea of seeking the FIFA presidency, received a direct call from Al-Khelaïfi to remain at UEFA’s helm. The PSG chief stressed the value of stable leadership for the European game.
Al-Khelaïfi also put forward the idea of a worldwide body representing clubs from different continents, an initiative that would extend the club voice beyond Europe’s existing structures.
The search for an Infantino opponent continues
With both Al-Khelaïfi and Ceferin declining to enter the race, UEFA’s search for a credible candidate to oppose Infantino remains unresolved. The timetable is already set: prospective candidates have until 18 November to file, before delegates meet in Rabat on 18 March 2027.
The background to the divide includes the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise project. The initiative, promoted by Infantino and designed to bring private investors into the framework, did not proceed. In its aftermath, FIFA and UEFA traded accusations over the handling of the plan and the reasons behind its collapse.
For now, the politics of the international game remain unsettled. Al-Khelaïfi’s decision narrows the field before it has properly formed, while European football waits to see whether another figure will emerge to challenge FIFA’s incumbent president.
