The race for the presidency of world football governing body FIFA is beginning to take shape. A new president will be elected on 18 March 2027 during the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco. Current president Gianni Infantino is seeking re-election, but may face competition from several candidates. Interested parties have until Wednesday, 18 November 2026, to officially submit their candidacy.
Infantino has headed the world football governing body since February 2016 and wants to remain in office until 2031. If re-elected, he will begin his fourth and final term. Under FIFA regulations, he cannot stand again after that. His first term lasted less than four years and is therefore not counted towards the maximum term limit.
Former Tottenham player wants to challenge Infantino
One of the candidates who has spoken out against Infantino is former Swiss international Ramon Vega. The former defender, who played for Tottenham Hotspur among others, has announced that he wants to make a bid for the FIFA presidency.
Vega has been critical of the current direction of the world football governing body. According to him, changes are needed in the way FIFA is governed. He advocates, among other things, greater transparency and stronger accountability within the organisation.
Japanese national Kozo Tashima has also put himself forward as a candidate. The 68-year-old honorary chairman of the Japan Football Association (JFA) announced his intention on 5 November. Tashima chaired the Japan Football Association between 2016 and 2024 and has been a member of the FIFA Council since 2015.
Tashima wants to focus primarily on good governance, integrity and transparency. His candidacy is supported by the Japan Football Association, but he must still gather sufficient official nominations from other national football organisations in order to actually participate in the election.
Arsène Wenger also named as possible candidate
In addition to Vega and Tashima, the name of former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has also been mentioned. According to international media reports, the Frenchman is considering standing as a candidate.
Wenger, who currently works as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, has not yet made an official announcement on the matter.
South African Peter Auf der Heyde, a former sports journalist and lecturer at Southampton Solent University, has also expressed interest in the presidency. Whether he can meet all the requirements remains to be seen.
Candidates must obtain support from five football associations
Not everyone who puts themselves forward automatically ends up on the final list of candidates. Under FIFA regulations, a candidate must be able to demonstrate that he or she has been active in football for at least two of the previous five years.
In addition, every candidate must receive official support from at least five national football associations affiliated with FIFA. Candidates must also pass an integrity and eligibility check.
The deadline for submitting candidacies has been set for Wednesday, 18 November 2026. Only after the nominations and required checks have been assessed will it become clear who may actually take part in the election.
Suriname also has voting rights
FIFA has 211 affiliated national football associations. Each affiliated association has one vote in the presidential election. This means that the Surinaamse Voetbal Bond (SVB) can also participate through its representation in the election of the new FIFA president.
Specific voting procedures apply to the election. In the first round of voting, a candidate must obtain at least two-thirds of valid votes. If no one reaches that majority, additional rounds of voting will follow, in which an absolute majority is sufficient to win.
Football associations that have expressed their support for a particular candidate beforehand are also not obliged to vote for that person in the final ballot.
Criticism of FIFA policy
The upcoming election is taking place against the backdrop of discussions about FIFA’s governance and commercial direction. Plans in particular to involve private investors in commercial activities surrounding major international football tournaments have drawn criticism.
Opponents of Infantino argue that greater transparency and better oversight of decision-making are necessary. At the same time, the current president enjoys support from several football organisations. The Moroccan football association, for example, has officially confirmed its support for Infantino.
On 18 March 2027, the affiliated football associations will determine during the FIFA Congress in Rabat who will lead the world football governing body for the next four years.
