Al-Khelaifi rules out FIFA bid as UEFA clashes with Infantino
Nasser Al‑Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint‑Germain and of the European Football Clubs (EFC, formerly the ECA), announced that he will not stand for the FIFA presidency, leaving Gianni Infantino as the sole declared candidate.
Al‑Khelaifi’s multiple mandates
Al‑Khelaifi heads PSG, the reigning two‑time UEFA Champions League winner, and also chairs the influential European Football Clubs group. Because of the latter role he sits on UEFA’s executive committee, where he has been a leading voice in the campaign to remove Infantino from the top job.
No ambition for FIFA
Speaking after the EFC’s annual meeting in Copenhagen, the Qatar minister‑businessman said, “No tengo ningún interés en la FIFA, ninguna agenda (ni) ambición de estar allí”. He added, “No creo que yo sea el tipo adecuado para este puesto y, en realidad, no quiero ir; estoy disfrutando lo que hago. Creo que la FIFA no es para mí”. The remarks were made in a press conference held in the Danish capital.
UEFA seeks challenger to Infantino
Amid a bitter standoff between UEFA and the world‑governing body, the European federation continues to hunt for a candidate who can oppose Infantino in the upcoming election. UEFA’s push follows Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell future World Cup (Mundial) revenue streams to private investors, a plan the continental body calls a betrayal of development and democratisation.
Čeferin attacks Infantino
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin responded to the accusations lodged by FIFA in a US court, accusing Infantino of “harassment” and “disinformation”. In his speech to the EFC assembly, Čeferin warned that “selling part of the future of football does not become development simply because it is called ‘development’”. He later branded INFANTINO an “emperor”, insisting that football does not need emperors or courtiers.
Call for football’s independence
Čeferin warned that secret deals over the sport’s “crown jewels” undermine clubs and fans, saying, “Imaginen que uno de sus altos ejecutivos negocia en secreto la cesión del control de las ‘joyas de la corona’ de su club”. He concluded by urging clubs and competitions to grow without selling their future, reminding that “the football, dear friends, is not for sale – neither today nor tomorrow”.
With Al‑Khelaifi’s withdrawal, UEFA’s search for a viable challenger narrows, but the organisation says the hunt remains open as the presidential election approaches.