Aleksander Ceferin will run for a fourth term as UEFA president, setting up a ballot at the continental body’s congress on April 22, 2027, in Astana, Kazakhstan, according to reports from multiple outlets including Sportschau. The 58-year-old Slovenian administrator announced his decision during a closed meeting with the presidents and general secretaries of Europe’s 55 national member associations at a hotel near Potsdamer Platz in Berlin.
Berlin Announcement Ends Months of Speculation
The announcement in the German capital formalizes a shift from Ceferin’s previous public stances regarding his tenure atop European football. Following the UEFA Congress in Paris in 2024, Ceferin stated publicly that he did not plan to seek another term in 2027. He cited feeling “tired” at the time and suggested the organization needed “fresh blood.” However, Sportschau noted that internal support among the member associations remained substantial, leaving no other prominent figures to step forward with public challenges for the presidency.
By committing to the April 2027 election in Astana, Ceferin officially removes himself from any speculation linking him to a potential challenge against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Sportschau confirmed that Ceferin has repeatedly dismissed the possibility of running for the top post at world soccer’s governing body, where Infantino faces an election scheduled for March 18, 2027, in Rabat, Morocco.
Statute Amendments Enable Ceferin to Seek Fourth Term
Ceferin’s bid for a fourth term is facilitated by a contentious set of statute amendments pushed through by UEFA leadership during the 2024 congress. While UEFA rules nominally limit a president to three terms or a total of twelve years in office, the revised language stipulates that Ceferin’s initial period in office—from 2016 to 2019, which he completed after taking over for the banned Michel Platini—does not count toward that cap. Consequently, his first formal term is calculated from 2019 to 2023, and his second runs from 2023 to 2027.
The adjustment sparked friction within the governing body’s upper ranks. Sportschau reported that David Gill, then serving as UEFA treasurer from England, raised formal objections to the change. The debate also prompted Zvonimir Boban, UEFA’s chief of football and a close associate of Ceferin, to resign in protest. Despite the internal friction, the German Football Association (DFB) publicly backed the amendments alongside UEFA leadership, arguing the modification was necessary to align the organization’s rules with Swiss law, which governs the Switzerland-based federation.
Power Struggle with FIFA and Upcoming Deadlines
The gathering in Berlin served a dual purpose for European football officials, who also convened to coordinate their stance ahead of the FIFA presidential election cycle. Relations between UEFA and FIFA have remained strained following Infantino’s aborted push during the summer to secure an external investor deal for the commercial rights to the men’s World Cup, a plan that drew intense criticism from European stakeholders. While Infantino has recently signaled a willingness to discuss potential institutional reforms, European federations have largely withdrawn their confidence.
With Ceferin out of the running to challenge Infantino, the European opposition faces a tight window to field an alternative candidate. According to Sportschau, the deadline for nominating opposing candidates to challenge the incumbent FIFA president falls on November 18, ahead of the vote in Rabat.
