Ramon Vega, ex-Tottenham and Switzerland defender, is the first to declare against Infantino for the 2027 FIFA presidency. He needs five federations to reach the ballot.
Ramon Vega will stand in next year’s FIFA presidential election, the former Tottenham and Switzerland defender announced on Wednesday. Vega is the first person to confirm a challenge to Gianni Infantino at the election in Rabat, Morocco, on 18 March 2027.
“I am standing because my life has prepared me to serve the game,” Vega said. “Football does not belong to presidents, confederations or administrators.”
Vega is 55 and made 23 appearances for Switzerland between 1993 and 2001. He played for Tottenham, Celtic and Watford before retiring in 2004, and has worked in finance since.
He considered running for the FIFA presidency in 2015 after Sepp Blatter’s suspension, and said he would stand against Infantino in 2019 but failed to secure the five federation nominations required to reach the ballot.
The Vega manifesto
Vega published an 11-page manifesto with the announcement. He said FIFA’s current leadership had demoralised the game and that weak governance had damaged FIFA’s credibility. “FIFA needs a new direction and fundamental reform,” he said. “This requires decisive change – not cosmetic adjustments.”
Former FIFA president Blatter backed the announcement on social media, calling Vega an interesting candidate with a diverse background and wishing him luck.
Vega must be proposed by a member association and secure nominations from at least five of FIFA’s 211 federations before he can appear on the ballot. Candidates must also have played an active role in football for two of the past five years and pass an eligibility check.
The deadline to declare is 18 November 2026.
Infantino under pressure
Infantino confirmed last month that he will seek a fourth term, having first announced the bid in April 2026. A win would keep him in office until 2031. He has led FIFA since 2016 and was re-elected in 2023.
Infantino has faced calls to resign since FIFA’s plan to sell a 20% stake in its commercial rights, including the World Cup, to private investors collapsed in July 2026. UEFA, the AFC and CONCACAF called for new leadership. Infantino said last month he remains fully committed to leading FIFA.
Infantino wrote to member associations on 21 September proposing an independent external review of FIFA’s governance. AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa has since distanced himself from that approach, writing to Infantino that reform should be driven by football’s institutions rather than outsourced.
Salman had signed a joint letter with UEFA and CONCACAF in July accusing Infantino of breaking trust over the investment plan.
No confederation has said it will back Vega. The FIFA Council meets in Zurich next week for the first time since the plan emerged.
