Human rights group FairSquare is calling on FIFA to declare that Gianni Infantino cannot run for another term as president. They argue that he has already reached the limit of three terms set by FIFA’s rules.
According to FIFA’s guidelines, a president can only serve for three terms. However, Infantino managed to claim that his first term, which began in 2016 after Sepp Blatter stepped down, shouldn’t count towards that limit because it completed an unfinished mandate.
In a letter sent to FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee, FairSquare pointed out that this interpretation goes against FIFA’s own statutes. Nicholas McGeehan, director of FairSquare, emphasized that their complaint clearly shows a breach of the rules. He noted, “The rules clearly state that three terms are the maximum allowed. FIFA cannot sidestep this rule, which is meant to limit presidential power, by saying his first term doesn’t count.”
As Infantino faces growing scrutiny leading up to next year’s FIFA Congress, where he plans to seek re-election for the 2027-31 term, the voting will take place in Morocco on March 18. Recently, several football confederations, including UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF, have called for an examination of Infantino’s actions after FIFA announced plans to create a $20 billion subsidiary related to its competitions, including the World Cup, to attract private investors. Some insiders suggested that the confederations might see this as a chance for Infantino to resign gracefully.
Concerns have also been raised by various national associations. Ian Maxwell, the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, stated that they would not support Infantino’s re-election.
While Infantino has support from the African and South American confederations, FIFA has yet to comment on the situation. However, in December 2022, FIFA Council members confirmed that the time Infantino served from 2016 to 2019 would not count as a term.
FairSquare is also questioning the transparency of FIFA’s decision regarding Infantino’s term limits. McGeehan pointed out that the reasoning for this conclusion was never made public, suggesting that FIFA might have understood there was no valid basis for discounting Infantino’s first term.
The letter to the Governance Committee was created with input from Miguel Maduro, the former head of FIFA’s independent Governance and Review Committee. He stated that FIFA cannot ignore its own rules. “The principle of term limits was a crucial part of the 2016 reforms aimed at limiting power,” Maduro said. “Creating an exception for Mr. Infantino shows a disregard for these limits and reflects a view that rules are merely obstacles.”
In conclusion, the ongoing debate around Infantino’s eligibility for a new term highlights concerns over governance and the importance of adhering to established rules within FIFA.
