UEFA has positioned Luís Figo among three potential candidates it is considering supporting to challenge Gianni Infantino for the presidency of the FIFA global governing body, SAPO reported.
Executive Tension Sparked by Commercial Project Dispute
The development follows a tense three-hour-and-thirty-minute FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, where the executive body gathered to discuss governance following the controversial conception and subsequent cancellation of the FIFA Forward Enterprise project, diadejogo.pt reported. That proposed commercial plan sought to hand a portion of FIFA’s commercial rights over to a private investment company, offering roughly 30 million euros to each participating national federation before collapsing under heavy opposition from UEFA and other continental confederations.
With relations between European football’s governing body and world football’s administrative headquarters severely damaged, UEFA has lined up three distinct figures as prospective leadership alternatives, according to Sky Sports reporting cited by SAPO. Alongside Figo—an old Portuguese international—the shortlist features Arsène Wenger and Michelle Kang, owner of the London City Lionesses.
The Crowded Electoral Field Ahead of the 2027 Vote
Contenders face a strict deadline of November 18 to formally submit their candidacies for the leadership election, which is scheduled to take place on May 18, 2027. Incumbent president Gianni Infantino has consistently reaffirmed his intention to stand for a fourth term in office. In the two most recent leadership ballots, Infantino ran completely unopposed.
Beyond the high-profile names weighed by European administrators, former Switzerland international Ramon Vega has already confirmed his intention to step forward with a list of backers. Vega, who played club football for Tottenham and Celtic before retiring from his playing career in 2004, has worked in the financial sector.
Zurich Council Debates and Institutional Fallout
The Zurich executive meeting also addressed several high-profile disciplinary and administrative matters outside the commercial dispute. Delegates reviewed the red card suspension of United States forward Folarin Balogun, which was ultimately reversed following a review request from United States President Donald Trump, alongside the awarding of a FIFA Peace Prize to Trump and broader decisions regarding national federation funding, diadejogo.pt reported.
The looming November 18 filing deadline marks the next official administrative checkpoint for candidates aiming to secure national association backing ahead of the May 2027 ballot.
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