Human rights organization FairSquare has called on FIFA to prevent President Gianni Infantino from running for another term, arguing that he has already exhausted the maximum three-term limit allowed under FIFA’s governing regulations. The group contends that Infantino’s current eligibility to seek re-election relies on a controversial 2022 decision that excluded his initial term from the count.
Infantino initially took office in 2016 following Sepp Blatter’s departure. In 2022, he successfully convinced FIFA officials that his first mandate should not be counted as one of his three permitted terms because it completed an interrupted period. FairSquare disputes this interpretation, claiming it directly contradicts FIFA’s established rules and creates a dangerous precedent that undermines presidential term limits as a safeguard against concentrated power.
The organization also raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the 2022 ruling, noting that FIFA never publicly disclosed the committee’s reasoning for the decision. With Infantino scheduled to seek re-election at next year’s FIFA Congress in Morocco, several football confederations and national associations have begun questioning his presidency. However, he maintains support from African and South American confederations, making the upcoming vote uncertain.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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