Former Swiss defender Ramon Vega declares run for FIFA president against Infantino
In short
Ramon Vega, 55, a former Swiss national team defender, has declared he will run for FIFA president, the first candidate to openly challenge Gianni Infantino, who is seeking a fourth term. Vega said football is "on life support in the emergency room" and that FIFA needs fundamental reform. His bid follows the withdrawal of Infantino's plan to sell a stake of about 20% in a company holding World Cup commercial rights for $4.2 billion, which led several football associations to drop their support for him.
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Ramon Vega, a 55-year-old former Swiss national team defender, has declared that he will run for president of FIFA, becoming the first candidate to openly challenge Gianni Infantino, who is seeking a fourth term. Yonhap, citing the BBC and Reuters, reported the announcement on October 8 Korean time, while Kyunghyang Shinmun said Vega formally announced his bid on the 7th. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Vega said he was running to reunite the global football family, achieve real and lasting reform, modernise FIFA for the 21st century and restore stability and trust. He said the current leadership had demoralised football and that weak governance had undermined FIFA's credibility and trust across the global football family. "Football is on life support in the emergency room. We cannot wait any longer," he said, adding that FIFA needs a new direction and fundamental reform, not cosmetic adjustments. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The bid follows a plan pursued by Infantino in July to set up a company to handle commercial rights to the World Cup and other major tournaments and to sell a stake of about 20% for $4.2 billion. Yonhap said the buyer was to be a US private fund, while Kyunghyang Shinmun said private investors. Chosun Ilbo named the entity FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) and said revenue was to be shared with member associations. The plan was withdrawn after strong opposition, including from UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to Yonhap, UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC called on Infantino to resign last month, but he said he remains committed to leading FIFA. The football associations of England, Wales, France and Serbia withdrew their support, and the Swiss association followed last month. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that the Swiss association, which backed Infantino as recently as June, cited fundamental questions over FIFA's leadership, governance, transparency and decision-making, and that the French association said Infantino had seriously damaged the image and unity of football. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin compared the sale attempt to the tale of the emperor's new clothes, saying "the emperor is naked". [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Kyunghyang Shinmun said the election will be held on March 18, 2027, at the 77th FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco. Chosun Ilbo said nominations must be submitted by November 18 and that a president needs the support of at least 106 of 211 member associations. UEFA has said it will put forward a candidate before the deadline. The FIFA Council meets in Zurich next week, on the 15th according to Kyunghyang Shinmun, its first meeting since the plan failed; Infantino has proposed an independent external governance review. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Infantino still has a substantial support base, Kyunghyang Shinmun reported, including the Union of Arab Football Associations, which represents 22 associations, and backing in Africa, Oceania and South America; it cited a Reuters report that he has enough votes to survive. Chosun Ilbo said it is uncertain whether Vega's bid will succeed. [ 2 , 3 ]
Vega played 23 matches for Switzerland between 1993 and 2001 and played for clubs including Cagliari, Tottenham Hotspur, Celtic and Watford, winning the League Cup with Tottenham in 1999 and a domestic treble with Celtic in 2000-01. He retired in 2004 and has worked in finance. He considered running for FIFA president in 2015, when Sepp Blatter was suspended, and in 2019 said he would run against Infantino but failed to secure the support of the five member associations needed to be nominated. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
Vega is the first declared challenger in an election that, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun, will be held on March 18, 2027, with UEFA saying it will put forward its own candidate before the November nomination deadline. Infantino still has backing from Arab, African, Oceanian and South American associations, and Chosun Ilbo said Vega's chances are uncertain.
Key facts
- Ramon Vega, 55, a former Swiss national team defender, declared he will run for FIFA president. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Vega is the first candidate to openly challenge Gianni Infantino, who is seeking a fourth term. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Infantino withdrew a plan to sell a stake of about 20% in a company holding commercial rights to the World Cup and other tournaments for $4.2 billion after strong opposition. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- England, Wales, France, Serbia and Switzerland are among the football associations that have withdrawn support for Infantino. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- UEFA has said it will put forward a candidate before the nomination deadline in November; Chosun Ilbo said nominations are due by November 18. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The FIFA Council meets in Zurich next week, its first meeting since the stake sale plan failed; Kyunghyang Shinmun gave the date as the 15th. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Vega considered running in 2015 and said in 2019 he would run against Infantino, but failed to get the backing of the five member associations needed to be nominated. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Ramon Vega, a 55-year-old former Swiss national team defender, has declared his candidacy for FIFA president. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Vega is the first candidate to publicly challenge Infantino. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Vega said football is on life support in the emergency room and that FIFA needs fundamental reform. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Infantino's plan to sell a stake of about 20% in a commercial rights company for $4.2 billion was withdrawn after opposition. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- England, Wales, France, Serbia and Switzerland withdrew support for Infantino. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- UEFA has said it will field a candidate before the November nomination deadline. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The FIFA Council will meet in Zurich, the first meeting since the stake sale plan failed. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Vega considered running in 2015, when Sepp Blatter was suspended, and failed in 2019 to secure the support of five member associations needed to stand. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Vega retired from playing in 2004 and has since worked in finance. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Who the buyer of the stake would have been. Yonhap said a US private fund; Kyunghyang Shinmun said private investors, and Chosun Ilbo did not name a buyer.
- Whether Vega can win enough support to be nominated or elected. He failed to gain five associations' nominations in 2019; Chosun Ilbo called his prospects uncertain, and Kyunghyang Shinmun cited a Reuters report that Infantino has enough votes to hold on.
- A formal complaint to an internal FIFA body. Only Kyunghyang Shinmun mentioned it and gave no details of who filed it or what it concerns.
- Infantino's proposed independent external governance review. Reported only by Kyunghyang Shinmun, without details.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports, citing the BBC and Reuters, that Ramon Vega has declared his candidacy for FIFA president. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports Vega's bid and says his chances of success are uncertain. [ 2 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports that Vega formally announced his bid on the 7th amid a widening push against Infantino. [ 3 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes a further report on Vega as the first challenger to Infantino. [ 4 ]