Wednesday, September 30, 2026 300 stories · 2674 outlet reports compared

UEFA's Ceferin criticizes FIFA president Infantino, calls him a would-be 'emperor'

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin publicly attacked FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Tuesday, saying football does not need emperors, amid reports that several European national associations have withdrawn support for Infantino's re-election bid.

By The Lumen desk · Sept 30, 2026 · 1 min read
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What we know
1 UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin criticized FIFA president Gianni Infantino, calling him a would-be "emperor."
2 Ceferin's comments came Tuesday, according to Yahoo Sports.
3 Infantino had an aborted plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors, according to Al Jazeera English.
4 PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi said he has no interest in the FIFA presidency, according to Yahoo Sports.
5 Yahoo Sports reported that several leading European national associations have withdrawn support for Infantino's re-election bid.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin launched a public attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Tuesday, declaring that "football has no need for emperors" and saying "the emperor is naked," according to multiple outlets.

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The criticism followed Infantino's aborted plan to sell off stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors, according to Al Jazeera English.

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi said he has "zero interest" in becoming the next head of global football, according to Yahoo Sports.

Yahoo Sports reported that numerous leading European national associations have withdrawn their support for Infantino in his bid to be re-elected FIFA president next year.

How each side covered it

Left

2 outlets
  • Left-leaning outlets reported UEFA's criticism centered on Infantino's aborted plan to sell FIFA competition stakes to private investors.

“UEFA slams Infantino over his aborted plan to sell off stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors.” — Al Jazeera English

Center

4 outlets
  • Center outlets quoted Ceferin saying "football has no need for emperors."
  • Center outlets reported PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi said he has "zero interest" in the FIFA presidency.
  • Center outlets reported that numerous European national associations have withdrawn support for Infantino's re-election bid.

“UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin on Tuesday attacked FIFA president Gianni Infantino, saying "football has no need for emperors"” — Yahoo Sports

Right

1 outlet
  • Right-leaning coverage led with Ceferin's "the emperor is naked" remark directed at Infantino.

“‘The emperor is naked’ — Uefa chief launches attack on Gianni Infantino” — The Times

Questions readers ask

What did UEFA's Ceferin say about FIFA's Infantino?

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said "football has no need for emperors" and declared "the emperor is naked," in a public attack on FIFA president Gianni Infantino, according to multiple outlets.

Why did Ceferin criticize Infantino?

The criticism came over Infantino's aborted plan to sell stakes in FIFA competitions to private investors, according to Al Jazeera English.

Is Nasser al-Khelaifi interested in leading FIFA?

No. Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi said he has "zero interest" in becoming the next head of global football, according to Yahoo Sports.

Does Infantino still have support for FIFA re-election?

According to Yahoo Sports, numerous leading European national associations have withdrawn their support for Gianni Infantino's bid to be re-elected FIFA president next year.

Sources · 7 outlet reports

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