“Of course” was the message in a FIFA statement confirming Gianni Infantino’s plans to run for re-election as president in March 2027.

The clarification from soccer’s governing body comes amid the future of Infantino reaching a new level of uncertainty over the weekend. Ever since his now-collapsed plan to sell stakes of future FIFA competitions, including World Cups, to private investors was leaked, the FIFA president has faced intense, months-long scrutiny and relentless calls for his removal at the highest rung of soccer’s ladder.

Infantino refused to answer questions from the media about the future of his presidency at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland over the weekend.

“There will be a lot to say, but there will be a right place and a right time to say this,” Infantino told Sky News ahead of Poland’s opening match. “It’s not today, it’s not here, but here and today, we are enjoying football.”

He then declined to answer when asked about his plans for re-election.

Saturday’s indirectness was not the first time Infantino, who has served as president since 2016, avoided the giant elephant in the room. Just weeks ago, he responded to a bald reporter asking him outright why he refuses to resign his position with the bizarre line: “I’ll see you at the hairdressers.”

FIFA has since issued a direct statement with regards to Infantino’s plans: “The FIFA president announced in April that he will stand for re-election in 2027. Of course, nothing has changed. Mr. Infantino will be standing for re-election.”

Will Gianni Infantino Win Re-Election?

Infantino will be running for his fourth term come March, the maximum number FIFA allows its presidents to serve. Should he win, he would remain at the helm until 2031.

If there are two candidates standing, a simple majority of 106 votes from the 211 associations is required to win the presidential election, given that all association votes count the same.

Infantino has, most notably, lost the complete support of UEFA, the powerful European governing body that has 55 total member associations. UEFA formerly threatened a boycott of all FIFA competitions, publicly expressing its loss of confidence in Infantino, before contemplating potential criminal proceedings against the Swiss lawyer—something FIFA has subsequently deemed a “smear campaign.”

The 56-year-old has also lost the support of Concacaf and AFC, which account for 88 member associations across North America and Asia. This amounts to a whopping 143 member associations that could choose to vote for the opposing candidate.

The only problem: no one has formally challenged Infantino for the presidential seat. Two top soccer officials pegged as strong challengers have already ruled themselves out: UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of Paris Saint-Germain. Both are understood as “not interested” in the position. It remains to be seen if anyone will come forward.

UEFA is confident that it can bring forth a challenger for Infantino.

“It’s really too soon,” Čeferin said with confidence late last month. “The date [nomination deadline] is Nov. 18. Let’s see what happens until then.”

A key potential successor is Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, as well as the president of the Norwegian Football Federation, Lise Klaveness.