UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin revealed the truth behind reports suggesting he might run for the presidency of the International Football Federation (FIFA), with elections scheduled to take place in March of next year.
Infantino has been under significant pressure in recent months, particularly following his controversial proposal to sell a portion of FIFA's shares in World Cup tournaments to external investors.
This decision angered officials at international federations, leading to a surge in voices calling for the Swiss to resign from his position.
In statements carried by BBC Sport, Ceferin confirmed that he will not run for the FIFA presidency, stating: "I am not interested in running for the FIFA presidency for two reasons. The first is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I believe that at some point I need to enjoy life a bit. The second reason is that my credibility would be much stronger if I were not interested in running for this position."
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Ceferin believes that Infantino has two options regarding his fate as FIFA president, adding: "The first option is that Infantino now realizes he does not have sufficient support. This is not limited to political support or voters alone, but also includes support from the entire football community, including fans, as well as current and former players and coaches."
He clarified: "As for the second option, it is to run in the FIFA presidential elections next March, but in that case, someone will run against him, and I do not know who that person is."
Ceferin pointed out that Infantino must remember that he is fundamentally a European, adding: "I think FIFA pretends and tries to think: 'What arrogance from UEFA towards us, they have enough money, but we help small and poor countries.' But I believe Infantino must remember that he is European and that he was supported by UEFA, which we did."
He continued: "Infantino's latest proposal is worse than the Super League proposal, where very large clubs wanted to create their own league. That was a huge mistake and would have led to the destruction of football. But in the case of Infantino's proposal, football would literally be sold. I am absolutely certain this step will fail. It is hard to imagine someone selling a sport that belongs to everyone, and it will not be allowed to happen."
Ceferin also addressed the controversial decision regarding the intervention of US President Donald Trump to lift the suspension of player Folarin Balogun after he was sent off during the match between the USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 of the World Cup, stating: "What happened was truly shocking. There are rules, and if these rules are not respected, the game will have no meaning."
He continued: "The head of state says: 'I called him and asked him to look into the matter,' and then the FIFA president says that this decision is independent and without anyone's interference. For us as football fans, or for us as an administrative body, this is truly shocking. Believe me, everyone was shocked by what happened, but not everyone dared to speak."
Many European federations have withdrawn their support for Infantino. UEFA previously confirmed that all its member associations would boycott participation in the upcoming men's and women's World Cup tournaments, before the Swiss cancelled his controversial project.
