Aleksander Čeferin will stand for an unprecedented fourth and final term as UEFA president at the organisation's Congress on April 22 in Astana, Kazakhstan, UEFA confirmed on Thursday. The Slovenian, first elected in 2016, told national association leaders during a meeting in Berlin that he intended to seek reelection.
"I want to thank the national associations for their trust," Čeferin said in a statement. "We have faced extraordinary challenges over the past years, and we have faced them as one team." He added that his ambition remains to keep European football united, make the game stronger and leave UEFA ready for the next generation.
Čeferin had already ruled out standing for the FIFA presidency against Gianni Infantino. His return follows controversial changes to UEFA's presidential term limits made at the 2024 Congress in Paris, which the Football Association opposed. Čeferin had previously said he would step away when his third term ends in 2027, but he will now seek reelection through to 2031.
Čeferin has been a vocal critic of Infantino, particularly after reports in July that he was working on a plan to seek private investment in a company to manage the commercial interests of FIFA's tournaments, including the men's and women's World Cups. UEFA has called for FIFA reform, saying it has lost confidence in the current leadership. The deadline for FIFA presidential candidates is Nov. 18, and former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega has already announced a challenge to Infantino.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing