Montagliani plans Concacaf re-election as UEFA seeks FIFA challenger

Victor Montagliani intends to seek a final term as Concacaf president rather than challenge Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency, BBC Sport reported on Thursday. Citing sources, the broadcaster said Montagliani had told colleagues of his plans. He had been regarded as a possible rival but had never publicly confirmed a bid.

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The reported decision leaves opponents of Infantino looking for a candidate before the 18 November deadline. Infantino has confirmed he will seek a fourth term in March. BBC Sport said no challenger had yet been confirmed, while Aleksander Ceferin has ruled himself out of the FIFA contest despite supporting efforts to find an alternative.

According to the BBC, former Switzerland defender Ramon Vega has said he intends to run, although it remains uncertain whether he can secure the five supporting letters needed to appear on the ballot. Montagliani had emerged as a potential contender following opposition to Infantino's subsequently abandoned proposal to sell World Cup stakes to private investors.

Separately, UEFA announced on Thursday that Ceferin would seek a final term as its president, reversing his earlier decision not to stand again. Its statement said all 55 national associations had asked him to reconsider. The election is scheduled for 22 April 2027 at the UEFA Congress in Astana, Kazakhstan, allowing him to continue beyond 2027 if re-elected.

The announcement followed a meeting in Berlin that also addressed FIFA's governance. UEFA said it and its member associations, apart from Azerbaijan, had agreed on a programme of reform. The associations declared that they no longer had confidence in FIFA's current leadership and argued that changing institutional arrangements would need to be accompanied by a new president.

UEFA's published proposals call for clearer boundaries between FIFA's governing bodies and a president who provides leadership without managing the organisation. They also envisage a stronger Council shaping major proposals before commitments are made. UEFA said discussions would continue with associations in Europe and elsewhere, with another meeting of its 55 members due before 17 November.