Ramon Vega’s final club stop was in Créteil. Now, more than a decade after first setting out his ambition, the former Switzerland defender is aiming for football’s highest office.
The 55-year-old has confirmed that he will stand for the FIFA presidency at next year’s election, becoming the first person to publicly declare a challenge to Gianni Infantino. Both men are Swiss, with Infantino seeking another term as head of world football’s governing body.
Vega promises reform and renewed trust
In his campaign manifesto, Vega said his purpose was to serve the people involved in football and to bring the global game back together. He set out plans for lasting reform, a FIFA better suited to the modern era, and a restoration of stability, credibility and trust.
“My goal is simple: to serve football and the people who bring this sport to life,” Vega said. “I am standing to reunite the global football family, deliver real and lasting reform, modernise FIFA for the 21st century, restore stability and credibility, and rebuild the trust our sport urgently needs.”
Vega had waited 11 years to turn that long-held objective into a formal candidacy.
A career spanning England, Scotland and France
A Switzerland international between 1993 and 2001, Vega played for clubs across Europe, including Cagliari, Tottenham Hotspur, Celtic and Watford.
His spell at Spurs brought League Cup success in 1999. He then joined Celtic and was part of the side that completed the domestic treble in 2000-01, winning the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.
Vega ended his playing career in France with Créteil, giving his FIFA bid a small but notable connection to the French game.
Infantino loses Swiss backing
The election will take place at FIFA’s 77th Congress in Morocco in March. Infantino, FIFA president since 2016, faces his first publicly announced rival in Vega.
Last month, the Swiss Football Association withdrew its support for Infantino’s attempt to secure a further presidential mandate, adding a domestic twist to a contest between two prominent figures from Switzerland.
