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Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has reportedly turned down requests from UEFA to enter the race for the FIFA presidency. In spite of rising tensions between European football’s governing body and Gianni Infantino over a controversial World Cup-related project, Al-Khelaifi is not seeking to take over the top post in world football.

UEFA is looking for a rival to Infantino

Tensions at the top of global football have intensified after a disputed proposal to create and sell a FIFA commercial entity. In response, UEFA has been actively trying to find a high-profile candidate to take on Infantino in the presidential election scheduled for March 2027.

According to reports from Politico, senior figures in European football saw Al-Khelaifi as a possible unifying option against Infantino’s latest financial plans. The disagreement centres on FIFA’s proposal to sell parts of its commercial rights, a step that some critics have described as “selling the World Cup.”

Al-Khelaifi makes his position clear

Despite strong lobbying from European football associations, the PSG chief has no plans to join the contest. A source close to the Qatari official explained his position to RMC Sport, saying: “Nasser has absolutely no ambition, no intention, nor any interest in this role at FIFA. He will continue to quietly support all global and European football institutions.”

The European Football Clubs (EFC), where Al-Khelaifi currently serves as chairman, has been one of the outspoken critics of the proposed sale of FIFA’s commercial stakes. Because of the EFC’s firm opposition to the plan, officials in Europe viewed its leading figure as a natural option to carry that resistance into the presidential race. His profile would have made him a serious contender, given his control of PSG and his influential position at BeIN Media Group. However, people close to him have brushed aside the speculation as “media hype”, maintaining that his focus is elsewhere.

The current president remains the clear favourite

His decision to stay out of the race underlines just how difficult it would be to remove Infantino, who has spent the last 10 years strengthening his grip on power. Identified by RMC Sport as the main architect behind FIFA’s record revenue growth, Infantino continues to enjoy wide backing from member associations in Africa, Asia and South America. Those regions have benefited greatly from the redistribution of wealth during his leadership, making any Europe-driven attempt to unseat him mathematically very difficult.

In addition, a presidential campaign would probably have brought heavy scrutiny and reopened several controversial matters from the past. Infantino has repeatedly shown an ability to survive political pressure, and his supporters believe his financial record gives him a mandate that is hard to challenge.

UEFA’s search for a challenger goes on

The dispute between UEFA and FIFA is still far from settled, but the political process will continue without Al-Khelaifi’s name on the ballot. As Europe’s governing body keeps up its strong resistance to Infantino’s World Cup commercial plan, it must now turn elsewhere in search of a candidate ready to challenge the incumbent.