Human rights group, FairSquare, has urged FIFA to declare President Gianni Infantino ineligible to contest for another term, insisting he has already served the maximum three terms permitted under the football governing body’s statutes.
FIFA presidents are limited to three terms in office, but Infantino successfully argued in 2022 that his first spell in charge should not count towards the limit, since it merely completed the mandate left behind by Sepp Blatter, who resigned in 2015.
Infantino was elected at an Extraordinary FIFA Congress in 2016 to complete Blatter’s term, before winning re-election in 2019 and again in 2023.
In a letter to FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC), as reported by The Athletic, FairSquare said the 2022 interpretation runs contrary to FIFA’s own statutes.
FairSquare Director, Nicholas McGeehan said that the complaint provides clear evidence of a breach of the rules that sets a dangerous precedent.
He said the rules clearly state that three presidential terms is the maximum allowed, adding that FIFA cannot simply circumvent the provision, which serves as a check on presidential power, by claiming Infantino’s first term does not count.
FairSquare also questioned the transparency of the 2022 ruling, noting that the committee never published its reasoning, and pointed out that the decision was announced two days before the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The submission to the GACC was prepared alongside Miguel Maduro, former head of FIFA’s independent Governance and Review Committee, who maintained that the organisation cannot disregard its own rules.
Maduro said the principle of term limits was central to the 2016 reforms aimed at checking presidential power, stressing that the rule is clear that no FIFA president can serve more than three terms.
He added that attempts to carve out an exception for Infantino expose a resistance to the principle of term limits within FIFA.
Infantino is facing mounting scrutiny ahead of next year’s FIFA Congress holding in Morocco on March 18, where he is expected to seek re-election for the 2027-2031 cycle.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and CONCACAF had last week called for a review of Infantino’s conduct, following FIFA’s proposal to create a $20 billion subsidiary linked to its competitions, including the World Cup, to attract private investment.
The three confederations viewed the letter as an opportunity for Infantino to step down with his dignity intact.
Scottish Football Association Chief Executive, Ian Maxwell, said on Monday that his federation would not support Infantino’s re-election bid.
Infantino, however, retains the backing of the South American and African football confederations.
(The Whistler)
