Ceferin confirms UEFA re-election bid as Europe presses for FIFA reform

Aleksander Ceferin will seek another term as UEFA president after accepting a unanimous request from Europe's 55 national associations to reconsider his decision to step down. UEFA confirmed the move on October 8 following a meeting in Berlin, where associations also backed demands for changes to FIFA's governance and leadership.

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The election is scheduled for April 22, 2027, at UEFA's congress in Astana, Kazakhstan. In its statement, UEFA described the proposed term as Ceferin's final one. He told association presidents and general secretaries that he had agreed to continue, citing unfinished work and support from across European football for his decision.

BBC Sport reported that the bid would be Ceferin's fourth and reverses the position he announced in February 2024. The Slovenian, first elected in 2016, had said he would not run again during a dispute over changes to UEFA's statutes that allowed another term. His announcement now comes amid UEFA's effort to replace FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

The Berlin meeting also produced a reform agenda supported by UEFA and 54 national associations, with Azerbaijan the exception. The proposals would separate FIFA's leadership role from day-to-day management, strengthen collective decision-making and protect oversight bodies from interference. They also seek to prevent FIFA funds being used for personal or election-related purposes and provide additional development funding to member associations.

According to BBC Sport, UEFA's confrontation with Infantino intensified after his proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors provoked opposition and was abandoned. Ceferin has ruled out challenging him personally. Infantino is seeking a fourth term in March, but the BBC reported that no confirmed challenger had emerged; former Switzerland defender Ramon Vega's stated intention to run still depended on securing the necessary support.

UEFA said discussions with national associations and counterparts elsewhere in world football would continue, with another meeting of its 55 members planned before November 17. BBC Sport reported a November 18 deadline to identify a challenger. Ceferin's own candidacy is confirmed, but the separate question of who will oppose Infantino remains unresolved.