By Amaechi Agbo

FIFA President, Gianni Infantino announced on Thursday he would stand for re-election for a third term in office next year, www.bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

“I want to tell you that I will be standing for re-election next year,” Infantino said at the congress of world football’s governing body in Doha.

Infantino, a 52-year-old Swiss-Italian lawyer, was the secretary general of European governing body UEFA before becoming FIFA president in 2016 in the wake of the corruption scandal that brought down predecessor Sepp Blatter.

Infantino announced he will run again to be president, despite recent criticism. Last month, he dodged questions about whether he would return the order of friendship medal he was given by Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, while he has also been under fire because of proposals for a biennial World Cup.

At Congress, he appeared to step back slightly on those plans: “Let me be very clear that FIFA has not proposed a biennial process,” Infantino said.

Biennial World Cup was not a FIFA proposal, says Infantino

“The last FIFA congress passed to the administration a vote, with 88 percent voted in favour, to study the feasibility of the World Cup every two years.

“We’ll try to have a debate and a discussion to find what is most suitable for everyone. Because everyone has to benefit.

“Positive or negative or neutral, every feedback is what is important in this discussion, and I’m proud that national team football is back on the agenda.”

Infantino was elected as president in 2016, following the removal of his disgraced predecessor Sepp Blatter. He then won a second term when he stood unopposed for re-election at a congress in Paris in 2019.

His mandate then was for four years and the next congress will take place “some time at the beginning of next year”, Infantino said.

Delegates from across the football world were gathered in Doha ahead of Friday’s draw for the World Cup, which Qatar is holding in November and December of this year.