By Samindra Kunti in Copenhagen
September 30 – Nasser Al Khelaifi has ruled out running for the FIFA presidency citing “zero interest” in the role.
The Qatari, president of both European Football Clubs (EFC) and European champions Paris Saint-Germain, confirmed he would not be attending a press conference at the EFC General Assembly in Copenhagen, saying: “I have no interest in FIFA, zero ambition to be there.”
He had previously called the chasms opening in world football caused by Gianni Infantino’s plans to sell the World Cup a waste of time.
A power broker in European football with roles on the UEFA board and beIN Media Group, there had been speculation about a challenge for Infantino, although Al Khelaifi’s entourage has repeatedly stated in recent weeks that he is not interested.
This time, however, Al Khelaifi himself went on record to quell any rumours. When pressed again later, Al Khelaifi said: “FIFA is not for me.”
Al Khelaifi has a lot of power in European football, but the Qatari FA previously supported Gianni Infantino. The FIFA president, who lived in Doha and owns property in the city gifted to him by the Qataris, has developed close ties with the Gulf nation and its national leadership. In 2022, Qatar became the first country in the Middle East to host the World Cup. The World Cup host award was not made during Infantino’s reign but when Sepp Blatter was still president.
Qatar’s FA has criticized the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for a lack of consultation when the governing body joined UEFA and Concacaf in signing a letter attacking Infantino. In August, six Arab nations, including Qatar, surfaced to support Infantino.
Infantino has confirmed he wants to stand for re-election at the FIFA Congress in Rabat, Morocco next year. The deadline to submit candidates is November 18.
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