Madrid, Spain — September 17, 2026.
DDNEWS
UEFA is intensifying efforts to find a credible candidate to challenge FIFA President Gianni Infantino in next year’s FIFA presidential election.
UEFA Vice-President, Laura McAllister, says the priority is to find a candidate capable of bringing football’s six confederations together behind an agenda for governance reform.
Speaking at the World Football Summit in Madrid, McAllister said UEFA’s efforts have not lost momentum, describing the process as moving forward step by step.
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She stressed that the candidate does not necessarily have to be European. According to McAllister, UEFA is looking for someone capable of winning the election and uniting global football around meaningful reforms.
The proposed reforms include greater transparency and accountability, stronger rules around conflicts of interest, better protection for whistleblowers and greater diversity in FIFA leadership.
The latest push follows a dispute over FIFA’s now-abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which would have allowed outside investors to acquire stakes in commercial rights connected to FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
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The proposal faced opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF before FIFA withdrew it. FIFA has since said a review of the proposal will be presented to its Council.
The disagreement has also led to growing calls for changes within FIFA. France’s football federation withdrew its support for Infantino’s re-election, while Greek football officials have also backed calls for governance reforms.
However, UEFA has yet to announce an official challenger, and there is currently no clear frontrunner. Several names have been discussed, but none should be considered confirmed candidates at this stage.
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Infantino, meanwhile, has confirmed that he will seek another term as FIFA president.
The deadline for submitting presidential candidacies is November 18, 2026, with the election scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco.
UEFA says its objective is not simply to oppose Infantino, but to build broad international support for a candidate and a reform programme that could reshape the governance of world football.
By Akiogbe Oreoluwa