Ceferin to seek fourth term as UEFA president in 2027

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin announced Thursday that he will seek a fourth and final term in 2027, reversing his earlier decision not to stand after the governing body's 55 national associations unanimously urged him to reconsider during a meeting in Berlin. The 58-year-old Slovenian will stand for reelection at the 51st UEFA Ordinary Congress in Astana, Kazakhstan, on April 22, 2027, according to the association's statement.

Ceferin, who has led European football's governing body since 2016, said in a statement: "I want to thank the national associations for their trust. We have faced extraordinary challenges over the past years, and we have faced them as one team." He added that "there is still important work ahead," accepting their request to remain in the post. "My ambition remains the same: to keep European football united, make our game stronger and leave UEFA ready for the next generation," he said.

UEFA demands change at FIFA

The Berlin gathering also addressed the future leadership of world football's governing body, with UEFA and 54 of its 55 national associations — excluding Azerbaijan — agreeing that they had lost confidence in FIFA under Gianni Infantino and calling for a change at the top. The associations argued that institutional reforms alone would not be sufficient and demanded a new FIFA president capable of restoring confidence across football's governing bodies while committing to reform, integrity and independence.

The criticism follows a dispute over Infantino's proposal to seek private investment in a company managing commercial rights linked to FIFA competitions, a plan that was abandoned following opposition from UEFA and other football bodies. Ceferin had previously ruled out challenging Infantino in the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 2027, with UEFA scheduling another meeting of its 55 national associations before Nov. 17 to continue discussions on FIFA reform.