Aleksander Ceferin confirms fourth UEFA presidential bid for 2027 vote in Astana

Re-election announcement in Berlin

Aleksander Ceferin announced to leaders of all 55 European national associations on Thursday morning in Berlin that he will seek a fourth term as UEFA president. The 58-year-old Slovenian administrator has led the governing body since September 2016, when he took over following the suspension of Michel Platini. Ceferin confirmed that his new bid covers the term running from 2027 to 2031, with the formal vote scheduled for 22 April 2027 at the UEFA Congress in Astana, Kazakhstan. The announcement took place during a gathering of continental football leaders where Ceferin faces no current challengers for the top post. His decision formally ends speculation regarding whether he might run for the FIFA presidency, an option he had previously rejected in public remarks.

Reversal of the 2024 departure pledge

Ceferin's decision reverses a position he took in February 2024 at the UEFA Congress in Paris, where he stated that he would step down at the conclusion of his third term in 2027. At that time, Ceferin said he was tired and remarked that the organisation needed fresh blood, having reached the decision six months earlier. The path for his current bid opened after UEFA delegates approved changes to the organization's governance statutes regarding presidential term limits. UEFA regulations normally impose a 12-year restriction on presidential tenures, but the approved alteration established that Ceferin's initial partial term completing Platini's mandate does not count toward the cap. The English Football Association opposed those regulatory amendments during the Paris gathering before delegates ultimately voted them through.

Rift over FIFA commercial plans

The decision to continue leading UEFA coincides with open tension between the continental body and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. European football leadership expressed strong opposition after details surfaced in July regarding Infantino's proposal to attract private investment into a new entity managing commercial interests for FIFA competitions. That initiative included commercial stakes in both the men's and women's World Cups, before Infantino dropped the proposal following broad pushback across the sport. UEFA declared in August that it had lost confidence in Infantino due to his handling of the commercial project. While Infantino subsequently reached out to offer discussions on prospective governance reforms, European associations have maintained their search for alternative leadership.

The FIFA presidential contest

Although Ceferin ruled himself out as an opponent to Infantino, UEFA is actively working to identify a consensus candidate to contest the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco. European officials face an 18 November deadline to register an official challenger for the position. Former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega became the first challenger to declare his candidacy against Infantino on Wednesday. Infantino has held the FIFA presidency since 2016 and retains substantial support across South America, Africa, and Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Asian Football Confederation president, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who previously joined Ceferin and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani in calling for Infantino to step down, appeared to soften his stance in a letter seen by the Press Association.