FIFA President Under Pressure
The power granted to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ignore criticism and proceed with expanding the Club World Cup and the national team World Cup has bestowed upon him an aura of absolute authority. However, the failure of a plan to involve private sector investors has placed his position in jeopardy for the first time. Two weeks after the World Cup final, the 56-year-old, who holds Swiss, Italian, and Lebanese citizenship, descended onto the pitch alongside his close friend, US President Donald Trump, appearing to be at the peak of his influence.
The larger and more complex version of the tournament, featuring 48 national teams and hosted across three countries, was largely deemed successful, despite a series of controversies off the pitch. It also succeeded in pumping more money into the coffers of his electoral base: the 211 national associations that are members of FIFA. The son of Italian immigrants, who had previously stated that he was bullied in Switzerland during his childhood because of his red hair and freckles, was experiencing his best period.
Unlike his Swiss predecessor, Sepp Blatter, Infantino has largely sought to limit his media appearances. This rare admission of childhood bullying came as he attempted to deflect criticism regarding Qatar’s human rights record during its hosting of the 2022 World Cup. He said at the time: “I am not Arab, I am not African, I am not gay, and I am not disabled. But I feel like all of these, because I know what it means to be discriminated against as a foreigner in a foreign land. As a child, I was bullied because of my red hair and freckles.”
The lawyer was first elected FIFA president in 2016, then re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023. However, he has faced accusations in recent years of transforming FIFA into a dictatorial organization. For his critics, this was epitomized by the failure accompanying the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” project, which was announced and then withdrawn last week. Widely considered one of Infantino’s pet projects, the initiative aimed to bring private investment into FIFA competitions, including the Men’s and Women’s World Cups. Announced on Tuesday, it collapsed entirely by Saturday following a wave of widespread objections.
Former UEFA President Michel Platini, under whom Infantino served as general secretary since 2009, is among his most prominent critics. In January, Platini told Britain’s The Guardian: “Unfortunately, Infantino has become more dictatorial since the COVID pandemic.” The 71-year-old added: “I think he has lost the game. There is less democracy than there was under Blatter.” Platini, who was later acquitted by a Swiss court, paints a negative picture of Infantino. He said: “He was a good deputy, but he is not a good president. He worked excellently at UEFA, but he has one problem: he loves the rich, the powerful, and those with money. That is his nature.”
Infantino’s relationship with Trump has also come under scrutiny, particularly after he awarded him FIFA’s first Peace Award, despite a wave of widespread mockery. The decision to lift a one-match suspension for US forward Folarin Balogun, following a phone call from Trump, allowing him to play in the Round of 16 match against Belgium, was considered one of the most controversial events of the World Cup.
The impression of Infantino’s desire to curry favor with the powerful was further reinforced by the inclusion of Joshua Kushner’s company in the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” project. Joshua Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. Terence Burns, who worked as a strategy consultant for branding in the successful bids to host the World Cup, told AFP: “Josh Kushner’s company has a professional record that is legitimate and reliable.” He added: “But it was inevitable that this connection would be read through a political lens, in a year when Infantino’s close relationship with the White House has become the subject of formal ethical complaints, and after a red card review that many associations considered a red line.”
