Nasser Al-Khelaifi rules out FIFA presidency bid amid European succession reports

Nasser Al-Khelaifi has denied any ambition or intention to stand for the FIFA presidency when Gianni Infantino’s term ends, despite growing speculation that the Paris Saint-Germain chairman could be a UEFA-backed candidate in the 2027 election.

The denial was issued by a spokesperson for the Qatari in response to reports in British media, including Politico and The Telegraph, which had described Al-Khelaifi as a potential candidate supported by UEFA and European football.

“Mr Al-Khelaifi has no ambition, intention or interest in this FIFA position or in all this media hype; on the contrary, he will continue to support, wisely and constructively, all global and European football institutions,” the spokesperson said.

Reports had portrayed Al-Khelaifi as a leading possible successor to Infantino, particularly amid tensions surrounding the FIFA president’s plan to establish a commercial company linked to world football’s governing body.

According to those reports, a potential Al-Khelaifi candidacy would be intended to challenge Infantino’s latest project, which has faced strong opposition from UEFA. That opposition has reportedly gone as far as the threat of a boycott of the World Cup in protest against the controversial plan.

Al-Khelaifi has held the presidency of Paris Saint-Germain since 2011 and has built a prominent position within European football’s governing structures. He has been a member of UEFA’s executive committee for several years and is also president of European Football Clubs (EFC), formerly known as the European Club Association (ECA), which represents more than 850 European clubs.

He is regarded as being close to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, a relationship that has led many to view him as a natural candidate to lead FIFA if Europe decides it wants to regain influence over the international governing body.

However, the statement from his spokesperson makes clear that Al-Khelaifi is not presenting himself as a contender for the role and rejects the reports linking him with a succession campaign.

European clubs oppose FIFA commercial plan

European Football Clubs, the organisation chaired by Al-Khelaifi, has separately criticised Infantino’s proposed commercial venture.

In a press release, EFC said it had viewed “with grave concern the sudden and unilateral press statements” issued by FIFA about the disputed project.

The statement is one of several condemnations directed at Infantino’s initiative. The proposal would open FIFA to investment from private-sector investors, a move that sections of European football believe could threaten the future of the game and undermine its traditional values.

The controversy has added to the political tension between FIFA and UEFA, while reports of a possible European-backed alternative to Infantino have fuelled speculation about the 2027 presidential election. For now, Al-Khelaifi’s position is that he has no interest in succeeding Infantino and will instead continue supporting football’s existing international and European institutions.