Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega has said he intends to stand as a candidate in next year’s Fifa presidential election. The 55-year-old is the first person to confirm they want to challenge Gianni Infantino, who has defied calls to step down following his failed plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
That proposal sparked a major backlash across football. Last month, Infantino said he was “fully committed to leading Fifa” despite Uefa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation calling for him to quit.
Vega is a former Switzerland centre-back who also played for Celtic and Watford. He made 23 appearances for Switzerland between 1993 and 2001 and has worked in finance since retiring from football in 2004.
Announcing his candidacy, Vega said: “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.”
He added: “I am standing because my life has prepared me to serve the game.” Vega argued that football does not belong to presidents, confederations or administrators, and that it is greater than any position, any individual or any institution. He said the game belongs to players, coaches, referees, supporters, volunteers, clubs, leagues, associations and communities, as well as 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.
Vega said football must always come first, but that division has fractured the football family. He claimed the current leadership has demoralised the game and that weak governance has damaged Fifa’s credibility and eroded trust across the global football family. He warned that conflict must not be allowed to escalate.
He also said ego-driven battles within football administration must never be allowed to damage those who matter most: the players, coaches, referees and supporters. They are not responsible for these conflicts and deserve better, he added.
This is not Vega’s first attempt to enter Fifa’s leadership race. He considered running for Fifa’s top job in 2015 following the suspension of former president Sepp Blatter. Four years later, he said he would stand against Infantino, but he failed to garner enough support to be included in the ballot, having required the backing of five of Fifa’s 211 member federations.
In his conclusion, Vega said: “Football is in the emergency room, on life support. We cannot wait any longer. Fifa needs a new direction and fundamental reform.” He said the organisation must reunite the football family, restore trust, bring stability and modernise its governance, adding that this requires decisive change rather than cosmetic adjustments.