Gianni Infantino at 10 years: Growth, controversy and the reshaping of FIFA
Gianni Infantino has now been in charge of football for a decade. If that is hard to believe, then it’s fair. When Sepp Blatter, his predecessor, was removed from office in December 2015 amidst a massive corruption scandal, FIFA felt somewhat damaged. Once a powerful body, it was publicly marred by the kind of illicit activity that many suspected had been going on in private for years.
Infantino, then, inherited something of a mess. He was elected FIFA President in early 2016, and on Feb. 26 celebrates a decade in the office. There is no doubt that football has changed immensely in those 10 years. To be sure, the game is now more accessible than ever, both at a grassroots level and in widespread competitions. More people have more opportunities to play more football and at the highest level possible. This is no doubt a good thing.
Yet his tenure has not come without controversy, either. He will forever be intertwined with some uncomfortable political alignments, the defense of host nations that have committed human rights abuses, and a rise in ticket pricing that has made the game less accessible, at least in person, to the average fan. On his 10-year anniversary, GOAL examines the defining decisions, expansions and controversies of Infantino’s first decade in charge.
By 2019, it was made official: the Club World Cup would mirror the World Cup in size. Original plans for a 2021 launch were scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, 2025 was chosen as the year for the first iteration of the new tournament – partially as a ramp to the 2026 World Cup in the United States.
Whether the 2025 tournament was truly a success is up for debate. Certainly, it gave clubs worldwide a platform to compete against each other. The final, which pitted Chelsea and PSG, was an event. But there were also concerns about empty seats, and the political ties with the tournament – ending with President Donald Trump popping up at the trophy lift – were no doubt uncomfortable for some. Still, the tournament will go again in 2029.
He also spoke of the importance of a strong, functioning FIFA to the sport. “FIFA is the glue that binds the footballing pyramid and the wider footballing ecosystem together,” he said, adding that they had also transformed how FIFA was viewed as an institution. “This is why a strong, trusted and unified FIFA is not only desirable, but also in fact necessary for our sport to continue to flourish.”
He concluded: “Thank you for keeping the best interests of football at heart and recognising that although we live in a world marked by division and conflict, football is still the great power that unites us all.”
He emphasised that unity between FIFA and the MAs had been a key to football’s transformation. “It is therefore with a great sense of unity that I would like to extend my deepest thanks for your work, your dedication and, of course, your unwavering support in making this possible and for your role in bringing FIFA back to football over the last 10 years,” the FIFA President said.
