Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega says he will challenge Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency. Vega, 55, who made 23 appearances for Switzerland and also played for Celtic, Watford, Cagliari and Grasshoppers in Zurich, becomes the first person to go public with their intention to go up against Infantino. The current FIFA president intends to stand for a fourth term at the FIFA Congress next March, but is under pressure after a private investor plan was rejected by three confederations and subsequently abandoned.
Vega, who has worked primarily in finance since retiring in 2004, previously explored runs for the FIFA presidency in 2015, 2019 and 2022 but failed to get the required backing of at least five of FIFA's 211 member federations. Anyone wishing to stand must also have played an active role in football for two of the past five years and pass an eligibility check.
"I am standing because my life has prepared me to serve the game," Vega said in a statement Wednesday. "Football does not belong to presidents, confederations or administrators. Football is greater than any position, any individual or any institution. FIFA needs a new direction and fundamental reform."
The deadline for candidates to be submitted is Nov. 18. UEFA has called its 55 member federations to a summit Thursday in Berlin amid European efforts to get a new leader. UEFA remains committed to identifying a credible alternative candidate, but it is unlikely any individual will be settled on at Thursday's meeting.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing