Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega has announced that he will run in the 2027 FIFA presidential election, becoming the first candidate to formally declare a challenge to Gianni Infantino. Vega, 55, said he intends to reunite the global football family and bring lasting reform to FIFA’s governance.
Vega, who played for Switzerland, Celtic and Watford before retiring in 2004, has been a finance professional since leaving the pitch. He said his life experience has prepared him to serve the game and that football “belongs to everyone” – players, coaches, referees, supporters and communities alike.
His statement comes amid growing criticism of Infantino’s handling of the failed attempt to sell World Cup stakes to private investors, a move that sparked backlash across the sport. While Infantino has denied calls to step down, several confederations, including UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation, have urged him to resign.
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, recently wrote to Infantino proposing that FIFA’s council set up a working group to examine potential reforms rather than outsourcing the review to an external party. This follows a joint letter from the AFC, UEFA and CONCACAF that accused Infantino of deception over his FIFA Forward Enterprise plan.
Vega previously considered a run for FIFA’s top job in 2015 after Sepp Blatter’s suspension, but failed to secure the five member‑association endorsements required to appear on the ballot. He now states he will stand again, citing the need for “decisive change” and a governance overhaul.
FIFA’s council will meet in Zurich next week for the first time since the FFE plan emerged in July, setting the stage for a potentially historic election.
