Marrakech – The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has formally nominated Gianni Infantino for a new term as FIFA president. FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaa signed a letter of nomination addressed to the FIFA Secretary General on Thursday in Vancouver, Canada.
In the letter, the FRMF declared it is “happy to propose” the candidacy of Infantino for the presidential election scheduled for March 18, 2027, during the 77th FIFA Congress. The federation also stated it “exclusively supports” the Italian-Swiss official and will not sign any other declaration of support for another candidate.
In its accompanying press statement, the FRMF described the nomination as reflecting “the great work carried out by Infantino and his team to develop African and world football.” The federation added that it “maintains its fruitful cooperation with FIFA’s governing bodies” under Infantino’s presidency for the development of the sport.
The FRMF’s endorsement came on the same day the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced unanimous backing for Infantino’s reelection. CAF held a meeting in Vancouver ahead of the 76th FIFA Congress.
All 54 African member associations voted to back Infantino for the 2027-2031 term, according to a CAF statement. The African bloc’s unified rallying behind his candidacy followed a similar pledge from the South American confederation (CONMEBOL), which represents 10 countries.
Infantino confirmed his candidacy on Thursday during the FIFA Congress in Vancouver. He also announced that the 77th FIFA Congress will take place in Rabat, Morocco. “I am honored and humbled at the same time,” he told global football leaders before formally entering the race.
“I am delighted to confirm that the 77th FIFA Congress will be hosted in Rabat, Morocco, on 18 March 2027. We very much look forward to coming together in this beautiful country, which has been a friend of FIFA and football,” Infantino later wrote on Instagram.
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The Rabat congress marks the second consecutive FIFA election meeting held in Africa. The 2023 election took place in Kigali, Rwanda, where Infantino won by acclamation.
Lekjaa, who also serves as CAF’s first vice president and sits on the 37-member FIFA Council, has been a close institutional ally of Infantino. In February, marking the 10th anniversary of Infantino’s election, Lekjaa delivered a video message crediting the FIFA president with a structural overhaul of the governing body.
“What he has achieved is enormous,” Lekjaa noted. “It is a global metamorphosis of FIFA.” He pointed to governance and financial reforms that “multiplied revenues and resources” and allowed development programs to expand across all continents.
Lekjaa also cited competition reforms, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup and the creation of new tournaments across age categories for both men’s and women’s football.
Morocco has secured major gains during Infantino’s tenure. The country will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal and hopes to stage the final at a 115,000-capacity stadium under construction in Casablanca.
FIFA’s Africa regional office opened in Rabat in July 2025 at the Mohammed VI Football Complex. Morocco also holds a five-year deal to host the annual Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
Infantino was first elected in February 2016. He won reelection in 2019 and again in 2023. Under FIFA statutes, a president cannot serve more than three mandates.
However, his initial term – which completed the mandate of ousted predecessor Sepp Blatter – was ruled “incomplete” at the 2023 Congress and does not count toward the limit. His presidency is expected to stretch to 15 years when he reaches the statutory cap in 2031.
African voters, now 54 among FIFA’s 211 members, have long been considered decisive in FIFA presidential elections. No challenger has yet emerged for the 2027 vote.
