UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin Warns FIFA Trust Remains Broken After Investment Controversy

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin stated that trust in global football has not been restored following the collapse of FIFA’s controversial private investment plan. Speaking via a video address to the Portugal Football Summit on Wednesday, Ceferin delivered his first public remarks since FIFA president Gianni Infantino proposed a review of the governing body's decision-making.

Ceferin emphasized that unity, transparency, and governance serving the wider game are essential for maintaining trust in football. He remarked that not everyone places the sport above personal ambitions, noting that unity, transparency, and governance were disregarded by individuals sworn to protect them.

While Ceferin did not explicitly name FIFA or Gianni Infantino, his comments clearly referenced the abandoned proposal to sell a 20 percent stake in FIFA’s commercial rights—including the World Cup—to private investors. That initiative was ultimately dropped in July following intense opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).

Reiterating UEFA's stance, Ceferin stated that football is not for sale. His remarks followed a letter sent by Gianni Infantino to the FIFA Council and the presidents of all 211 member associations, in which Infantino offered to commission an independent external review of FIFA’s governance framework and proposed consultations regarding decision-making processes.

Despite the proposed review, Infantino's letter failed to win over several federations that had previously criticized the investment proposal. Gianni Infantino remains committed to leading FIFA and is expected to seek another term in the upcoming presidential election in March 2027. Concluding his address, Ceferin stressed that leaders must always remember whom they govern for to keep the sport safe.