Gianni Infantino's bid for another term as FIFA president is facing a fresh challenge, with advocacy group FairSquare formally calling for him to be ruled ineligible for next year's election. The organization has taken its case to FIFA's Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee, arguing that Infantino has already served the maximum three terms permitted under FIFA's statutes. If allowed to run and win again, the 56-year-old would begin a fourth term, extending his presidency through 2031.
Key Highlights:
- FairSquare wants Infantino ruled ineligible for next year's FIFA presidential election.
- Infantino is currently the only announced candidate and would secure a fourth term if re-elected.
- The dispute centers on FIFA's 2022 decision to exclude his 2016–2019 period from the three-term limit.
- FairSquare argues that FIFA's statutes do not provide an exception for incomplete presidential terms and wants the current committee to reassess the ruling.
FairSquare Calls for Infantino Election Ban
FairSquare has submitted a formal letter to FIFA's Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee, asking the organization to block Infantino from standing in next year's presidential election.
The 56-year-old is currently the only candidate to have announced an intention to run. Should he be re-elected, Infantino would begin a fourth term and remain FIFA president through 2031.
FairSquare, however, argues that this would violate FIFA's presidential term limits because Infantino is already serving his third and final term under the organization's regulations.
Legal Challenge Targets His First Term
Infantino took over as FIFA president in 2016 following Sepp Blatter's departure amid corruption scandals. In 2022, FIFA's Council agreed that Infantino's first three years in office should not count toward the three-term limit because he had been completing Blatter's interrupted tenure.
FairSquare is now challenging that interpretation. In a letter dated August 13, the advocacy group asked the Review Committee to overturn the earlier decision.
The group argues that the original ruling to exclude the 2016–2019 period conflicts with both the wording and purpose of FIFA's presidential term-limit rules. The 2022 decision had stated that the period did not count as a term of office, meaning Infantino was considered to be beginning his first term.
Infantino's Presidency Under Growing Scrutiny
The term-limit challenge comes as Infantino's presidency faces scrutiny over a series of high-profile controversies. These include the process surrounding Donald Trump's FIFA Peace Prize and a reported proposal to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private capital.
FairSquare argues that allowing Infantino to bypass the existing term-limit rules could create a dangerous precedent for future FIFA presidents. The organization maintains that neither the FIFA Statutes nor the FIFA Governance Regulations allow a presidential term to be discounted simply because it did not last the full four years.
FairSquare also points to the wording of FIFA's statutes, which states that no person may serve as president for more than three terms of office. In its view, the rule makes no distinction based on whether a term was complete or incomplete, or whether the election took place at an Ordinary or Extraordinary Congress.
The group further argues that Infantino's alleged abuses of power and the FIFA Council's failure to hold him accountable make another term a plausible scenario—one it believes the rules should prevent.
Review Committee Faces Crucial Eligibility Decision
FairSquare has also highlighted a significant change since the original 2022 ruling: the leadership of the Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee has changed. The advocacy group believes the committee's current members should therefore reconsider the matter independently and assess Infantino's eligibility under FIFA's statutes.
FairSquare has formally asked the committee to uphold those rules by declaring Infantino ineligible ahead of next year's election. The decision now rests with FIFA's internal committees, which face mounting legal and political pressure over whether Infantino can seek an unprecedented fourth term.
