Story Highlights
- South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has endorsed CAF President Patrice Motsepe to succeed Gianni Infantino as FIFA president.
- McKenzie says Africa is not seeking Infantino’s immediate removal and wants him to complete his current term.
- The endorsement comes as Infantino faces criticism over an abandoned $4.2 billion FIFA commercial investment plan.
- McKenzie also claimed FIFA’s headquarters will relocate to South Africa, a claim not yet confirmed by FIFA.
- FIFA’s next presidential election is expected in March 2027.
South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has publicly backed Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football, to become the next president of FIFA.
In an interview with SportsBoom.co.za, McKenzie argued that world football’s governing body is overdue for African leadership and that Motsepe, who has led CAF since 2021 and was re-elected by acclamation in March 2025, is the continent’s strongest candidate.
But the endorsement comes with a caveat. McKenzie was explicit that Africa is not pushing to unseat Gianni Infantino before his current mandate expires.
“There is no other person other than Gianni Infantino who should run FIFA than Dr Patrice Motsepe. Don’t look too far,” he said, framing Motsepe’s ascent as a matter of timing rather than confrontation.
McKenzie’s comments arrive at a moment of unusual friction between Infantino and several of FIFA’s most powerful member confederations, and his framing — support Infantino now, but plan for Motsepe next — reflects the delicate position African football finds itself in.
Infantino’s Rocky Patch
The endorsement follows a turbulent stretch for the FIFA president. Infantino had pushed a plan, known internally as FIFA Forward Enterprise, to create a new commercial entity and sell up to a 20 percent stake to private investors in a deal projected to raise roughly $4.2 billion.
The proposal drew fierce opposition from UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation over concerns about transparency, governance and the commercialization of FIFA’s competitions. FIFA ultimately shelved the plan after the backlash.
Six Nordic football associations have since said they no longer have confidence in Infantino’s leadership and have called for an independent review of both the abandoned proposal and FIFA’s broader governance. UEFA and other European federations have also questioned his direction.
McKenzie did not defend the substance of the plan. “I don’t think Infantino’s idea was good at all,” he said.
But he argued a single misstep should not define Infantino’s tenure, comparing it to his own record in business. “I have had many business ideas and in hindsight weren’t good ideas… But having had plenty of good ideas and one bad idea shouldn’t be grounds for him to be fired.”
A Rebuke to Europe
McKenzie’s comments also carried a pointed message to UEFA, which has been among the loudest critics of Infantino’s commercial plan and has hinted at withdrawing cooperation from FIFA competitions in protest.
“Europe must not tell us, if you don’t do this, we are walking. They keep threatening and saying they will walk and will not be part of the FIFA World Cup,” McKenzie said. “We cannot be subjected to threats by European countries. If they want to remove him, do so next year in March” — a reference to FIFA’s next presidential election, expected in March 2027.
The remarks position McKenzie’s intervention as more than a personnel endorsement. It is also a defense of Infantino’s relationship with African football, and an argument that the continent’s electoral bloc within FIFA — Africa holds 54 of FIFA’s 211 member votes, the largest of any confederation — should not be leveraged by Europe to force Infantino out early.
“Infantino is a great friend of the African continent,” McKenzie said. “We are not saying what he did was right, but we still had to vote for that idea.”
Motsepe’s Ambivalence
The endorsement raises an unresolved question: does Motsepe actually want the job?
McKenzie acknowledged that the CAF president has shown no public appetite for a FIFA presidential run. “There is no one better than Dr Patrice Motsepe, although he doesn’t want the job. That I can tell you for free,” McKenzie said, adding, “Regardless of what he says, the people of football want him.”
Motsepe’s record at CAF — credited by McKenzie with bringing in new revenue and greater administrative professionalism since 2021 — has fueled speculation about his suitability for a larger role.
But CAF’s own struggles with governance and finances over the years mean any bid would likely draw scrutiny of his continental tenure as much as praise for it.
Other names have also surfaced in early discussions about FIFA’s post-Infantino landscape. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has ruled himself out, while CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has been mentioned as a possible contender, though he has not publicly declared any intention to run.
A Headquarters Claim, Unconfirmed
McKenzie went further still, claiming that FIFA’s head offices will relocate to South Africa. “I can confirm the FIFA Head Offices will be in South Africa,” he said, without elaborating on timing or the basis for the claim.
FIFA has not issued any confirmation of such a move, and the statement should be treated as a ministerial assertion pending verification from the governing body itself.
What Comes Next
For now, McKenzie’s remarks add a new layer to a conversation that has circulated in African football circles for years: whether the continent, which supplies more member votes to FIFA than any other confederation, should convert that numerical strength into the presidency itself.
Whether that translates into an actual campaign depends largely on factors outside McKenzie’s control — chiefly, whether Motsepe is willing to seek the role, and whether Infantino, due to face voters again in March 2027, chooses to run for another term.
Until then, the endorsement stands as a marker of intent rather than a formal candidacy, with African football federations yet to take a collective position on the succession question.
This article was edited with AI and reviewed by human editors
