Meknes – Human rights watchdog FairSquare has petitioned FIFA to bar Gianni Infantino from seeking re-election, contending that he has already reached the maximum three-term limit set by the governing body’s statutes.
According to a report by The Athletic, FairSquare sent a letter to FIFA’s Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee arguing that Infantino’s interpretation directly conflicts with the organization’s own statutes.
FIFA cleared the path for Infantino in 2022 by ruling that his initial period following Sepp Blatter’s resignation in 2016 was an interim mandate rather than a full term.
Rights advocates argue that ignoring statutory term limits undermines essential checks on administrative power.
Speaking to Reuters regarding the formal filing, FairSquare director Nicholas McGeehan pointed out the gravity of the oversight.
“The complaint we have filed provides clear evidence that this is a clear breach of the rules and one that sets a very dangerous precedent,” McGeehan said.
“The rules state clearly that three presidential terms is the maximum allowed, FIFA can’t simply circumvent this rule which serves as a check on presidential power by saying that his first term doesn’t count,” he added.
As FIFA prepares for its upcoming Congress in Morocco on March 18, Infantino is encountering mounting backlash over his bid to stay in power through 2031.
The rights group also criticized the opacity surrounding the 2022 decision, highlighting that FIFA never publicly released the legal reasoning behind discounting Infantino’s initial term.
“The fact they didn’t provide any reasoning to support this claim, and that they announced the apparent decision two days before the final of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, suggests that they knew full well that there was no basis to discount Infantino’s first term,” McGeehan explained.
FairSquare continues to press FIFA for accountability, demanding full disclosure regarding the 2022 decision and urging the committee to uphold governance standards by declaring Infantino ineligible for the upcoming presidential election.
As scrutiny mounts ahead of the presidential election, FairSquare’s challenge adds significant pressure on FIFA’s leadership.
The outcome of the complaint could ultimately determine whether Infantino is allowed to extend his tenure through 2031 or forced to step down at the end of his current term.
