Ramon Vega has announced his intention to run for president of the International Football Federation (FIFA), challenging the current head Gianni Infantino. The elections are scheduled for March 18, 2027 in Morocco. At 55, Vega has a different profile than that of typical football administrators. A former defender for the Swiss national team, he has played for clubs such as “Tottenham“ and “Celtic“, and after the end of his professional career he turned to the financial sector.
Transparency and reforms
At the heart of his candidacy is the promise of more transparent and democratic governance of FIFA. Vega is pushing for greater accountability and for rebuilding trust between the governing body and the football community.
Among his priorities is a dialogue with national federations, clubs, players, coaches and referees in the first 100 days of his possible mandate.
Vega has criticized the concentration of power and questioned a model in which strategic decisions are made by a narrow circle of executives.
The pressure on Infantino
Gianni Infantino is also seeking a new mandate and defending the achievements of recent years, including increased investment in football around the world.
However, his administration has been accompanied by criticism of the transparency and decision-making at FIFA. Controversies over the organization's commercial projects have further strengthened calls for greater accountability.
Infantino has considerable international support. A particularly important signal was the support of the 54 African football federations, which strengthens his position before the elections.
Footballers against commercial interests
Another important emphasis in Vega's position is the overloaded football calendar. He raises the question of the physical condition of the players and the need to find a balance between commercial interests and the health of the football players.
According to him, the expansion of tournaments and the increase in the number of matches require a more serious dialogue with the people who play on the field.
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
RAMON VEGA
CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF FIFA
FIFA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION — 18 MARCH 2027 (7 oktober)
RABAT, MOROCCO
Service before power. Football comes first.
Today, I officially announce my candidacy for the Presidency of FIFA. In 2022, during my last attempt to stand for the Presidency of FIFA — an attempt that ended under difficult and deeply questionable circumstances — I made a commitment. I believed then that the time would come when the global football family and wider society would more clearly recognise the problems facing our game, understand their consequences and see the need for genuine and fundamental reform.
The concerns we raised four years ago — and in many cases as far back as 2015 — were not raised for political advantage. They came from what we had seen, experienced and learned from people across the football world. I believed that, with time, the need for deeper structural and governance reform would become increasingly difficult to ignore.
That is why I said in 2022: ‘When the football community and wider society are ready for real reform, I will be ready to lead and coordinate that change.’ Four years later, the concerns we raised then have become increasingly visible:
e.g. Attempts to privatise the people’s game without meaningful consultation with its stakeholders.
Accumulating US$6 billion in reserves instead of distributing those resources equally among FIFA’s member associations for the development of football. Interference with the red card rule at the World Cup. Scandalous World Cup ticket prices. An autocratically imposed peace prize. These are not isolated issues. They reflect the deeper governance concerns we were already raising in 2022. I did not disappear. I continued listening, learning, travelling and preparing.
Four years later, I am still here.
My commitment has not changed. The time has come. I am ready. To those who have supported us behind the scenes for more than ten years — since my first attempt in 2015 to stand and bring real reform to FIFA — you have been waiting for this moment. We are ready to lead these reforms. I am standing because my life has prepared me to serve the game. I stand before the global football family with humility, determination and a profound sense of responsibility.
Football does not belong to presidents, confederations or administrators. Football is greater than any position, any individual or any institution.
It is the people’s game and belongs to everyone: the players, coaches, referees, supporters, volunteers, clubs, leagues, associations and communities that give football its life.
It belongs to every child discovering the game, every professional carrying the hopes of a nation, and the billions of supporters whose passion makes football the world’s game.
Football must always come first.
Yet for too long, division has fractured our football family. The current leadership has demoralised the game. Dictatorship, intimidation and blackmail have divided member associations. Weak governance has damaged FIFA’s credibility and eroded trust across the global football family. We must stop this conflict from escalating. Ego-driven battles within football administration must never be allowed to damage those who matter most: the players, coaches, referees and supporters around the world. They are not responsible for these conflicts. They deserve better. Football is in the emergency room, on life support. We cannot wait any longer. FIFA needs a new direction and fundamental reform. We must reunite the football family, restore trust, bring stability and modernise FIFA’s governance.
This requires decisive change — not cosmetic adjustments. Changing the person at the top is not enough if the system beneath remains unchanged. Ego, greed and personal ambition must never be allowed to govern our game. No individual or institution is greater than football itself. I am not standing to continue the war. I am standing to end it. I therefore call on everyone to act responsibly and bring this unnecessary controversy to an end. I come in the spirit of fair play — not merely to criticise, but to unite all those who work for the game, play the game and love the game. Integrity, fair play and mutual respect are the foundations of football. They must guide how we govern, how we compete and how we treat one another.
When we defend those principles against manipulation, toxicity and exploitation, the entire football family wins. This candidacy is not about one individual or one position. It is about the future of the game we all share. Football must always come first.
FOOTBALL IS IN MY DNA
Football has shaped my life, character, values and dreams since childhood. Football is not simply part of my career. It has shaped who I am today; the game taught me discipline, responsibility, resilience, teamwork and respect — values that have guided me throughout my life. I spent 16 years at the highest level of professional football and represented Switzerland internationally, including at UEFA EURO 1996 in England. I won 3 Swiss league titles and one Swiss Cup with Grasshopper Club Zürich. I played in Serie A with Cagliari, played in the Premier League and won the League Cup with Tottenham Hotspur, and was part of Celtic’s historic Scottish domestic treble. I played for Watford FC and finished in France/Paris with US Créteil. My journey did not end on the pitch. I experienced the game across five different countries, 5 top leagues of Europe, as a professional player, different cultures, dressing rooms, supporters and football traditions — while studying economics and finance alongside my playing career. But when my playing career ended, my education in leadership continued. For more than 20 years, I have worked in international finance from London, operating across continents, cultures and markets. That world taught me another form of discipline: financial responsibility, strategic thinking, transparency, accountability and the importance of making difficult decisions with long-term consequences. I then brought those two worlds together. I have advised football clubs on finance, commercial growth, strategy and football development, and served at board level — giving me experience of the game not only from the dressing room and the pitch, but from the boardroom. As a polyglot speaking six languages, still learning Hungarian, I have learned something equally important: leadership begins with listening. Understanding different cultures, interests and perspectives is essential when representing a football family of 211 member associations. Today, I bring together three worlds that are too often separated: Professional football. International finance and business. Governance and leadership.
I know what it means to play the game. I know what it means to finance and manage organisations. I know what responsible governance requires. I have lived football from the pitch to the boardroom.
That is the experience I bring to this candidacy — not as a career administrator seeking another position, but as a football man, an international businessman and an independent reformer prepared to serve the game. I come from the game; I understand the business and the responsibility. I’m ready to lead.
WHY I AM STANDING
I am not standing for the Presidency of FIFA because I have spent my life pursuing a position. I am standing because my life has prepared me to serve the game. I believe I have a duty and a social responsibility to protect and defend football — its integrity, its people and its future. Faith and trust across the football family have been deeply damaged. We must rebuild both, restore FIFA’s credibility and reunite the global football family.
As a neutral and independent candidate, I come from outside the system, but I am an insider to the game. I bring together the mentality of a player, the discipline of a defender, and decades of experience across two very different worlds: top-level professional football and international business and finance. That combination has shaped me as an independent reformer who understands the game from the pitch to the boardroom. I was a defender on the field. Now I am ready to defend the game — its integrity, its people and its future. Serving football is not about glamour, privilege or power. It is a formidable responsibility. I have no greed, no ego and no hunger for power. I have already been fortunate to build successful careers in top-level professional football and international finance. I am fulfilled and balanced in my life. I do not need a position to define who I am. But the athlete’s mindset never leaves you. It continues to drive me to improve, to grow, to challenge what can be better and to make a meaningful difference for the entire football community. I am determined to deliver genuine reform, modernise the governance of our game and leave a meaningful legacy for future generations. This is not about what the Presidency of FIFA can give me. It is about what I can give back to football. And in the spirit of the Olympic motto: Faster. Higher. Stronger — Together.
CLAUDIA, MY FIRST LADY — PARTNERSHIP, EXPERIENCE, AND INCLUSION
ONE TEAM WITH ONE PURPOSE
I am the candidate for the Presidency of FIFA, but I do not undertake this journey alone. At the heart of my candidacy stands my Hungarian wife — my First Lady, Claudia — my partner, my strength since my first attempt to stand for the FIFA Presidency, and a constant source of wisdom, courage and inspiration.
Claudia did not arrive in football through me. She has her own history in the game. She has earned her place, recognition and respect in her own right — through her own experience, achievements and contribution to the game. More than 25 years ago, when very few women were given the opportunity to work at the highest levels of professional men’s football, Claudia was already breaking barriers. She became a pioneer in the men’s game, working as part of the team in technical and operational roles and sitting on the bench in men’s UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and international competitions.
She experienced professional football from the inside — from the changing room and technical operations to the pitch and the boardroom — while also working across the diplomatic side of the game. She did not wait for football to open its doors to women. She stepped forward at a time when very few of those doors were open — and earned her place through her own ability, courage and experience.
Her studies in media, communications and psychology strengthened her understanding not only of football as an institution, but of the people, pressures and human relationships behind it.
Before football, Claudia devoted 20 years to ballet — a world of discipline, sacrifice, resilience and precision. Those qualities shaped her character and became the foundation she carried into professional football. The stage changed, but her values never did. She brought the same courage, determination and pursuit of excellence to football, earning her place on her own merit.
But Claudia brings something more.
She is a humanitarian and a true cosmopolitan who has lived and worked around the world. She brings passion, empathy, intuition and a profound commitment to people in need. Her progressive thinking, international experience and belief in equality and social transformation bring an essential perspective to our vision for football.
She was breaking barriers in men’s football long before inclusion became a slogan. Her journey demonstrates a principle I strongly believe in: Competence, courage and leadership have no gender.
A DECADE OF LISTENING, LEARNING, TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD AND PREPARING TO LEAD
This candidacy did not begin today. I have been preparing for the responsibility of leading FIFA since 2015. Previous efforts to stand were obstructed by political manoeuvring and deeply questionable circumstances. But we did not walk away. We continued travelling, listening, learning, building international relationships and deepening our understanding of football across different cultures, communities and confederations. Throughout that journey, we have consistently called for reform, transparency and accountability. For more than a decade, Claudia has stood beside me throughout this mission. We have travelled the world together, listened to people across the game and learned from the different realities facing the global football family.
We therefore come to this challenge not simply as husband and wife, but as one team with one purpose, bringing two different perspectives of the game. I bring my experience as a former professional and international player, businessman, financial professional and football advisor. Claudia brings her pioneering experience from within men’s professional football, her operational understanding, humanitarian vision and the perspective of a woman who entered this world when very few doors were open to women. Together, those experiences have given us a broader understanding of football and, above all, of the people it must serve. Men and women, different generations, cultures and communities must all have a meaningful place around the same table. Over the years, associations from different confederations have encouraged us to pursue this candidacy. That support has continued to grow, and we are deeply grateful for their trust. Before the World Cup, I had already communicated my intention to stand for the FIFA Presidency to one of FIFA’s vice presidents.
We are visionaries in our outlook, reformers in our conviction and humanitarians at heart. We are here to bridge divisions, reunite the global football family and offer a new vision for the future. For us, serving football is not an ambition. It is a responsibility and a matter of honour. One partnership. One team. One purpose. One shared dream: to serve the game we love. Now we are stepping forward at a difficult moment for international football, when serious questions are being raised about transparency, integrity and trust. Leadership is not about choosing the safest moment. It is about accepting responsibility when leadership is needed most.
FUNDAMENTAL OPERATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL REFORM
The integrity of the game is non-negotiable. FIFA must become a transparent, accountable, trusted and ethical institution — one that serves football, not political interests. The organisation must be governed with discipline, responsibility and effective independent oversight. Its decisions, finances and development programmes must be open and transparent. Every member association must be treated with dignity and equality — free from intimidation, political pressure or conditions designed to secure loyalty. Football development must be judged by tangible and lasting results: stronger associations, sustainable infrastructure, well-trained coaches, protected players, credible competitions, greater opportunities for women and girls, and sustained investment in young people and their communities.
FIFA’s resources belong to football. They must serve the development of the game and must never be used as instruments of political control. This is not change for the sake of change. It is necessary evolution, driven by revolutionary courage. Stability. Reform. Unity. An evolution with the courage of a revolution.
MY MESSAGE TO ALL SIX CONFEDERATIONS
To every member association of the AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA: This is not a campaign against any continent, confederation or association. It is a campaign for the entire football family. Development money belongs to football; it must never become political currency.
Every member association deserves respect. Every confederation deserves a genuine voice. No association should face intimidation, isolation or political retaliation for expressing and defending its legitimate position. Member associations must be able to make their choice freely, independently and without fear that their decision could affect their access to development resources or their relationship with FIFA. We cannot heal division through boycotts. Boycotts create further damage and deepen the divide.
We will not answer challenges with confrontation, but answer them with credible solutions. You do not need another vote of no confidence. You can have confidence in me. I offer every member association a neutral, independent and credible democratic alternative: a candidate rooted in the game who can bridge football and international business, bring cultures together and lead FIFA with competence, integrity and independence.
There comes a moment when silence is no longer neutrality. When wrongdoing is known and those entrusted with the responsibility to act remain silent, silence becomes complicity. A strong FIFA does not need an all-powerful president. It needs strong institutions, shared responsibility, genuine independence, unity and earned trust.
The President must serve FIFA — not control it. True leadership strengthens the institution, unites the football family and puts the game above individual power.
It requires strong institutions, shared responsibility, independent scrutiny and earned trust. True leadership requires the courage to speak, the determination to act and the conviction to defend what is right. A credible FIFA begins with a credible election. Together, we can reunite the football family and return FIFA to the service of the game.
A MESSAGE TO EUROPE
Europe played a decisive role in bringing the current leadership to FIFA. Europe therefore also has a huge responsibility to help bring about change — not through division or boycott, but through the democratic process. I call for open and transparent dialogue across the entire global football family — players, clubs, leagues, associations, confederations and supporters. Major decisions affecting our game should never be imposed. They must follow genuine consultation, where every voice is heard and the broadest possible consensus is built before decisions are made.
Europe does not need to withdraw from the football family; it must help reunite it. The solution is not further confrontation. The solution is a credible candidate, a democratic election and a clear programme capable of restoring trust, integrity, transparency and unity. You do not need another vote of no confidence. You can have confidence in me.
TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN AFRICA — CAF
Africa deserves dignity, independence, development and a genuine voice in world football. Throughout my playing career, I played alongside many outstanding African players and witnessed first-hand the extraordinary strength, talent and potential of African football. Yet Africa rarely receives the recognition or the fair financial return it deserves. Africa produces players who strengthen the world’s leading leagues, yet too little of the value they generate is reinvested in African football. This must change. Development resources must genuinely serve Africa’s young players, communities and future. There must be fairer financial support and sustained investment in academies, infrastructure and grassroots football across the continent. Development money must never become a tool for securing political loyalty. For too long, Africa has received attention only when votes are needed, with promises renewed every four years but little progress at grassroots level. This must end. Africa must no longer be exploited. Africa must be respected, empowered and free to shape its own football future. Its young players are not simply the future of African football — they are an essential part of the future of world football.
MODERNISING FIFA FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
We must also look forward. FIFA must modernise the way it is governed and become an organisation capable of meeting the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Reform cannot only be about correcting what happened yesterday. We study history to learn from it, not to live in it. We must analyse past mistakes honestly so that we do not repeat them — and then have the courage to move forward. My focus is the future. That means modern governance, greater transparency and accountability, stronger institutions, responsible financial management and an organisation capable of adapting to a rapidly changing sporting, technological, commercial and social environment.
But modernisation must also change how FIFA makes decisions. Major decisions affecting our game should not simply be imposed from above. Players, clubs, leagues, associations, confederations and supporters must be listened to. Consultation must come before decisions, not after them. Humility is the philosophy of my leadership.
This candidacy is not about one individual or one position. It is about the future of the game we all share. Football must always come first.
My purpose is straightforward: to serve football and the people who give the game its life. I am standing to reunite the global football family, deliver genuine and lasting reform, modernise FIFA for the 21st century, restore stability and credibility, and rebuild the trust that our game urgently needs.
- Protect the integrity of the game.
- Reform and modernise FIFA’s governance.
- Unite the global football family and trust by actions, not by words.
- Players’ welfare and safeguarding must be at the heart of the game. We need a responsible international calendar that protects their health and puts quality before quantity.
- Women’s football must be a fundamental part of the future of our game. We will accelerate its sustainable development and give the women’s game the resources, respect, opportunities and representation it deserves.
- Invest in the next generation.
- Ensure FIFA serves football — not politics.
- It means ensuring that FIFA’s resources reach its member associations more fairly, more efficiently and more quickly, so that the wealth generated by world football is reinvested in developing the game where it is needed most.
- Give football back to the fans. They are not just supporters — they are the soul of the game.
Football must remain accessible and affordable. No supporter should be priced out of the game they love. We must protect the right of ordinary fans and families to experience football in the stadium — because without them, football loses its soul.
- Must stop autocratic leadership.
- Those who are directly affected by FIFA’s decisions must have a meaningful voice in shaping them. I therefore support establishing a permanent stakeholder body bringing together member associations, leagues, clubs and players from across men’s and women’s football.
A strong FIFA does not require an all-powerful president. It requires strong institutions, shared responsibility, independent governance, transparency, accountability and earned trust. But none of this can be achieved without changing the culture of leadership. Leadership that listens, unites and serves. The Presidency of FIFA is not a throne. It is a responsibility. If entrusted with that responsibility, I will serve the game before the position, principle before personal interest and unity before division.
Always remember that all humans are born in the same condition, and that nothing lowers you but pride and hatred; therefore, never believe that power places you above others. Lead with humility, respect and compassion! I believe I can reunite the global football family.
And above all, to serve football. I come not simply with promises, but with years of preparation, knowledge, experience and commitment to the game.
I offer every member association a neutral, independent and credible democratic alternative: a candidate rooted in the game who can bridge football and international business, bring cultures together and lead FIFA with competence, integrity and independence. For me, serving football is not about personal ambition. It is a responsibility, a duty and a matter of honour.
No individual above the institution.
No institution above the game.
Service before power.
Learn from the past.
Modernise the present.
Build the future.