Ex-Spurs defender Ramon Vega to stand for FIFA presidency
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It is not the first time that former Switzerland centre-back Ramon Vega has announced his intention to run for FIFA’s top job.
PHOTO: AFP
- - Former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega has announced he will run against Gianni Infantino for FIFA president in 2027.
- - Vega says football needs change, trust and integrity, and claims FIFA’s member associations are now “much more open to change”.
- - He still needs support from five of FIFA’s 211 federations and must pass eligibility checks by Nov 18 to enter the race.
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PARIS – Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega has become the first person to announce that he intends to run against incumbent Gianni Infantino in the FIFA presidential election in 2027.
The former Switzerland centre-back has been working in finance since he retired in 2004.
It is not the first time he has stated his intention to run for the top job at world football’s governing body.
He had considered running against Infantino following the resignation of Sepp Blatter in the wake of a corruption scandal in 2015.
Vega, 55, tried to challenge his fellow Swiss in 2022, but failed to get sufficient support to make it onto the ballot.
“The situation has evolved a lot since then,” Vega said, adding that FIFA’s member associations were “much more open to change” than when he previously sought to stand.
“I am standing because my life has prepared me to serve the game,” Vega said in an 11-page dossier announcing his candidacy.
“I believe I have a duty and a social responsibility to protect and defend football – its integrity, its people and its future.”
Pressure has been building on Infantino, who has lost the support of numerous FIFA member associations since his aborted plan to create a commercial subsidiary to run FIFA’s biggest events, such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.
Last week, the Swiss Football Association became the latest to withdraw its support for Infantino, citing concerns over his record on transparency, accountability and institutional responsibility.
“Faith and trust across the football family have been deeply damaged,” said Vega in his dossier.
“We must rebuild both, restore FIFA’s credibility and reunite the global football family.”
It is not clear whether Vega would be able to stand.
He must first not only gain the backing of at least five of FIFA’s 211 member federations, but also be proposed by one of them.
And the rules stipulate a candidate must have been involved in football for two of the previous five years, and pass an eligibility review.
Potential candidates have until Nov 18 to meet those criteria. AFP