Explosive Leaked Letter Puts Gianni Infantino's FIFA Presidency on the Line

A letter from the non-profit group FairSquare has urged FIFA to declare Gianni Infantino ineligible to seek re-election as president, arguing that the organization's previous ruling on qualifying terms was fundamentally flawed.

Infantino has been under intense scrutiny following his ultimately failed push to sell off portions of future commercial rights to FIFA's flagship competitions, most notably the World Cup. The polarizing president has since abandoned those widely opposed plans, yet his continued role as the head of global soccer's governing body has come under serious question.

Despite receiving public support from certain members of FIFA's senior leadership — some of whom were summoned to Morocco earlier this month — Infantino has drawn sharp condemnation from the governing bodies of Europe (UEFA), Asia (AFC), and North, Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf). "We call for that unity to be honored now, for leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it," a joint statement declared.

Nonetheless, Infantino has held onto his position and remains the sole declared candidate for March's elections, which will determine FIFA's next leader through 2031. FairSquare contends he should not even be permitted to enter the race.

Infantino Accused of Being 'Ineligible' to Run for FIFA President Again

FairSquare's appeal to FIFA is straightforward. "We are writing to request that you‬ rule Mr. Infantino ineligible to run again for the FIFA Presidency on the basis that he is already serving‬ his third and final term," reads a letter dated Aug. 13, 2026, as cited by The Athletic.

FIFA presidents are limited to three four-year terms. Infantino was first elected in 2016 following the early departure of his predecessor, Sepp Blatter, who stepped down amid FBI investigations into the organization's finances. Infantino subsequently won the 2019 and 2023 elections without opposition — which should, in theory, make this his third and final term. FIFA, however, sees it differently.

Gianni Infantino's FIFA Reign

In December 2022, the FIFA Council declared that "the period between 2016 and 2019 does not count as a term of office for the current FIFA President, who is therefore about to end his first term."

The reasoning appears to be that Infantino's 2016–19 years were spent completing the remainder of Blatter's final term rather than beginning one of his own. Some interpretation is required, as the internal report behind this decision was never released to the public — a fact highlighted by FairSquare, who argue the ruling contradicts the body's own regulations.

"Neither the FIFA Statutes nor the FIFA Governance Regulations make any provision for a‬ presidential term to be discounted because it did not last for the maximum period of four years," FairSquare's letter states. "The letter of the rule is clear and does not‬ provide for any exception based on the complete or incomplete nature of the term of office."

A further concern raised is that this ruling could enable a FIFA president to extend their time in office indefinitely. Using the logic that Infantino's initial three years "don't count" due to the term being incomplete, any president could theoretically trigger an early election to nullify their current term and remain eligible to stand again.

"In view of Mr. Infantino's various abuses of‬ power and the failure of the FIFA Council to hold him to account, such a scenario is plausible," FairSquare boldly asserts.

Will Infantino Be Allowed to Stand for Re-Election?

Despite FairSquare's efforts, it remains highly improbable that FIFA will overturn its own ruling. The letter contends that the committee members who made the 2022 decision in Infantino's favor have since been replaced, and that the current members may hold a different view.

Were FIFA to accept that reasoning, every prior committee decision would be subject to fresh review the moment a single member is replaced — a precedent that no organization, particularly one as closely aligned with Infantino as FIFA, is likely to entertain.

Even if Infantino reaches the ballot, his standing is so fragile that securing another term — whether his third or fourth — would come as a significant shock.

Should the bulk of UEFA, Concacaf, and AFC member associations align with their confederations' vocal and firm opposition to Infantino, he would fall well short of a majority. Despite support from Africa, South America, and Oceania, individual nations will have weighed the numbers and may choose not to back a candidate unlikely to prevail — few benefit from supporting a losing side.

The challenge for Infantino's opponents lies in uniting behind a broadly acceptable candidate, before tackling the far more complex task of delivering the sweeping reforms they have publicly demanded. Whether that scrutiny will eventually turn inward remains an open question.

For all the criticism directed at FIFA, none of its detractors are without fault. UEFA made a strikingly similar decision in February 2024, when the first two years of Aleksander Čeferin's presidency were effectively discounted. Having taken over from Michel Platini partway through his mandate, Čeferin would be permitted to contest a fourth term in 2027.