The announcement came as a surprise following the vote at the 48th UEFA Ordinary Congress, which amended the statutes to allow the Slovenian leader to stand for a fourth term from 2027. The president, who took over as head of European football's second-biggest governing body after FIFA, confirmed that he would not be seeking a fourth term, despite the amended rule now allowing it.

"I decided about six months ago that I would not be a candidate in 2027," said Ceferin, who took over from Michel Platini in 2016.

"The reason is that every organisation needs fresh blood after a certain period of time, but mainly because I have been away from my family for seven years," Ceferin told a post-UEFA Congress press conference in Paris.

The stunning announcement from European football's top executive came shortly after UEFA's member nations voted overwhelmingly in favour of a series of changes to the governing body's statutes, including a measure that would potentially allow Ceferin to remain in his position until 2031. 

"I didn't want to reveal my thoughts earlier because, first of all, I wanted to see the true face of some people and I saw it," he added. "I didn't want to influence the Congress. I wanted them to decide (on the statutes) without knowing what I'm telling you today," said the Slovenian. The changes to the statutes on the presidency did not remove the three-term limit, but allowed for a fourth term by clarifying that terms starting before 1 July 2017 would not be taken into account (his first term began in 2016). 

Ceferin was first elected president of UEFA on 14 September 2016, defeating the then-president of the Dutch Football Association, Michael van Praag, at the Congress in Rome. He was subsequently re-elected on 7 February 2019 and 5 April 2023, both times as the only candidate.

In addition to this change, other reforms were announced at the Paris Congress:

Significant changes were made to the UEFA Statutes to include at least two women on the UEFA Executive Committee. The age limit (70) for holding office has also been removed and the Executive Committee has been given greater flexibility in decision-making. 

In a clear reference to the Super League, the statutes reaffirm the principle of the European sports model, whereby the right of member associations and clubs to participate in UEFA competitions is based on sporting merit. This last point is in line with the declaration signed by 26 (of the 27) of the European Union countries just hours before the Congress.

Amendments have also been made in the area of justice, defining the scope of review of the Court of Arbitration for Sport when it acts as an appellate body. 

Arbitration for Sport when acting as an appellate body, as well as the applicable legislation. Finally, the Congress, which was held at La Maison de la Mutualité in Paris, approved the financial statements for 2022-2023 and the budget for 2024-2025. The 49th UEFA Congress will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, on 3 April 2025.