Governing Bodies
Infantino seeks for re-election as FIFA president
Gianni Infantino announced on Thursday that he will stand for re-election for a third term as president of FIFA.
“I want to tell you that I will be standing for re-election next year,” Infantino said at the congress of world football’s governing body in Doha.
Infantino, a 52-year-old Swiss-Italian lawyer, was the secretary general of European governing body UEFA before becoming FIFA president in 2016 in the wake of the corruption scandal that brought down predecessor Sepp Blatter.
He then won a second term when he stood unopposed for re-election at a congress in Paris in 2019.
His mandate then was for four years and the next congress will take place “some time at the beginning of next year”, Infantino said.
Delegates from across the football world were gathered in Doha ahead of today’s draw for the World Cup, which Qatar is holding in November and December of this year.
Meanwhile, Infantino tried to distance himself from a highly controversial project to hold the World Cup every two years as he suggested the plan had never actually been proposed by world football’s governing body.
“Let me be very clear that FIFA has not proposed a biennial World Cup,” Infantino said on the stage at the organisation’s congress in Doha on the eve of the draw for this year’s tournament.
Despite that, Infantino has pushed the project in recent months along with Arsene Wenger, the former Arsenal manager who is now FIFA’s head of global development.
Infantino claimed at a virtual global summit to discuss the topic last December that playing the World Cup more regularly would offer enormous financial benefits for member federations.
Then, FIFA promised an extra $19 million every four years for each national federation, based on feasibility studies projecting major revenue increases.
Yet Infantino had to put off holding a vote on the subject due to vociferous opposition from all sides.
It had initially been thought the subject would feature prominently at Thursday’s congress in the Qatari capital, but the agenda was instead dominated by the fall-out from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as well as the build-up to the World Cup.
“Let’s get the process clear here –- the last FIFA Congress asked the FIFA administration… to start a feasibility study into holding the World Cup every two years,” Infantino added.
“The FIFA administration under the leadership of Arsene Wenger did exactly that.
“FIFA did not propose anything, but came to the conclusion that it is feasible, that it would have some repercussions and impact.”
He added: “We found it would be feasible and even positive for a big part of the world, but there is of course also big opposition to it and that is where the discussion has to start.”
The project has been lambasted by almost all sides, with UEFA and South American governing body CONMEBOL uniting in their opposition and even moving towards organising a transatlantic Nations League after 2024.
The European Club Association as well as leagues and players have voiced their disapproval too.
The Confederation of African Football did give its backing, but even the International Olympic Committee expressed concerns about more frequent World Cups drawing attention away from other sports.
However, Infantino later indicated that there was still some hope of eventually reviving the project.
“We are looking at all options. We will take the time it takes with the utmost understanding of all positions,” he said.
He also said that plans for an expanded, 24-team Club World Cup remain alive despite the pandemic forcing the indefinite postponement of the first edition.
Planned for June and July of 2021, it was put off in order to make way for the Copa America and Euro 2020, both postponed by a year because of Covid-19.
The Club World Cup in its existing guise features seven teams — the champions of each continental federation as well as the host nation — and Infantino admitted it is “not exciting or inclusive enough”.
“We took a decision to have a new Club World Cup with 24 teams. It should have been played in June 2021 and we agreed to postpone it,” Infantino said.
“That is still the plan. We did not yet fix a new date for that because there are more important things which we have to deal with, like the pandemic.
“In the meantime we have our current Club World Cup but we are still looking forward to a new version.”
Chelsea won this year’s Club World Cup, beating Palmeiras in the final in Abu Dhabi last month.
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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