FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed he will stand for re-election in 2027, despite mounting criticism of his leadership, eroding support from football's regional bodies, and the threat of criminal proceedings in Switzerland.

A FIFA spokesperson issued a statement on Sunday confirming the decision, hours after Infantino declined to answer questions about his future upon arriving at the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland.

"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," the statement said.

On Saturday, Infantino attended the opening match of the tournament at the Arena Katowice in Katowice, where hosts Poland faced Argentina. He was seen in the stands speaking with Polish Football Federation President Cezary Kulesza.

Speaking outside the stadium, the 56-year-old addressed reporters but avoided direct questions about his leadership position. "There will be a lot to say, but there will be a right place and a right time to say this. It's not today, it's not here, but here and today, we are enjoying football," he said.

He did not respond when asked whether he had considered resigning or whether he still intended to seek a fourth term.

Infantino has led FIFA for nearly a decade, but has faced growing opposition from regional football confederations and national associations. Critics and rights groups have called on FIFA's Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee to block his re-election bid.

Under FIFA rules, presidents are limited to three terms of four years each. However, in 2022, Infantino successfully argued that his first term, which began when he was elected at an extraordinary FIFA Congress in 2016 following Sepp Blatter's resignation, should not count toward that limit, as it completed an interrupted mandate.

His standing has declined sharply in recent months, in part due to his publicly close relationship with United States President Donald Trump. In December, Infantino presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize at the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw in Washington, DC, drawing widespread criticism.

His position was further weakened after the World Cup, when he invited private investors to purchase a stake in future profits from World Cups and all FIFA events. The investor group was led by Joshua Kushner, an American businessman and younger brother of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law.

The plan, which would have transferred commercial rights linked to the men's and women's World Cups and the Club World Cup into a new subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise, was subsequently abandoned.

UEFA has since sought legal recourse over the matter. European football's governing body filed an urgent application under US law requesting permission to obtain testimony and documents from FIFA entities in Florida, for use in a planned criminal complaint in Switzerland against Infantino and potentially other FIFA officials and advisers.

FIFA responded by accusing UEFA of conducting a "smear campaign" and a "fishing expedition," and filed its own request asking US judges to contest UEFA's applications.

With elections for the FIFA presidency due in roughly six months, Infantino's position remains under significant pressure from multiple directions.