UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has announced he will not seek the Fifa presidency, but believes incumbent Gianni Infantino will either step down or face a challenger at elections scheduled for March 2027.

Aleksander Ceferin, the 57-year-old president of European football's governing body, has publicly removed himself from consideration to lead Fifa, despite being widely regarded as a potential challenger to current president Gianni Infantino. Speaking on the Rest is Politics podcast, Ceferin cited his commitment to UEFA and desire to enjoy life outside administrative pressures as reasons for his decision. He also suggested that maintaining distance from the position would preserve his credibility within football.

Infantino faces mounting pressure following his controversial proposal to sell minority stakes in Fifa's competitions to private investors. The plan, which would have created a new entity called Fifa Forward Enterprise to manage commercial and ticketing rights, sparked widespread opposition. UEFA and other continental federations voted to threaten a World Cup boycott unless the proposal was scrapped, and numerous football associations have withdrawn their support from Infantino. Ceferin described the plan as "worse than the Super League," referring to the failed breakaway European club competition.

Ceferin predicted one of two outcomes at the March 2027 Fifa Congress. Either Infantino will recognize his lack of political support among voters, football communities, fans, players, and coaches and step down voluntarily, or he will face an opponent in the election. Infantino retains backing from South American confederation Conmebol and African confederation CAF, though support from European, North American, and Asian federations has eroded. The Fifa president has been actively campaigning globally to rebuild support, recently meeting with Caribbean Football Union members and attending high-profile events.

Ceferin also criticized Infantino over the handling of a red card suspension involving US player Folarin Balogun at this summer's World Cup, after American President Donald Trump revealed he had personally called Infantino requesting the sanction be lifted. Ceferin stated that such political interference undermined the integrity of football's regulatory framework.