Could Al-Khelaïfi soon replace Infantino as FIFA president?

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·30 de julio de 2026

Could Al-Khelaïfi soon replace Infantino as FIFA president?

A new election for the position of FIFA president will take place in 2027. Gianni Infantino, who is coming to the end of his third term, is the favorite to succeed himself and remain in the role until 2031. However, there is also an attempt at change. In particular from the UEFA side, where Nasser Al-Khelaïfi — notably president of Paris Saint-Germain and beIN Media Group — is being widely backed despite having shown no intention of running. This is what journalist Ben Jacobs reports.

“Several federations are trying to persuade Al-Khelaifi to change his mind.”

“UEFA is in talks to put forward a candidate to rival Gianni Infantino in the FIFA presidential election, as exclusively revealed. Nasser Al-Khelaifi has significant backing, as reported on talkSPORT two weeks ago. Those close to Al-Khelaifi insist that he has no aspiration to run, nor to give up his roles at PSG and beIN Sports. An Al-Khelaifi spokesperson told me: ‘Mr. Al-Khelaifi has absolutely no ambition, no intention, and no interest in the role at FIFA, and despite all this media noise, he will instead continue to quietly and constructively support all global and European football institutions.’ Several federations are trying to persuade Al-Khelaifi to change his mind. Emergency UEFA meeting today.”

Ben Jacobs is generally a reliable journalist, for example when it comes to the transfer market, and even more so on this topic. Above all, this is quite a particular situation, since Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is not seeking to be a candidate for this position. And yet, several officials would like to see him run in an attempt to replace Infantino, whose image is, at best, highly divisive.

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Some of his decisions have raised almost as many questions as his close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump. The latest plan to privatize the World Cup by selling stakes to private investors (with around €35 million promised to the federations supporting the project) has sparked fresh backlash and could push officials to press Al-Khelaïfi further. Even if nothing suggests he could be persuaded, especially since one might think it would mean stepping down from his role at PSG in particular.

These are complex matters, with behind-the-scenes negotiations and power plays, so we prefer to remain cautious and wait for something concrete before knowing more.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.