Gianni Infantino is no stranger to controversy. Since becoming FIFA president in 2016 he has, among other things, been accused of cosying up to autocrats, dismissing concerns over human rights, and putting profits over people. Fans everywhere were enraged during this summer’s World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, when Infantino was called by US President Donald Trump and within hours, FIFA had ‘suspended’ a one-match ban for the United States’ top striker. “I’m the one that got them to do it,” Trump boasted.
Many saw it as the FIFA chief bending of the rules for the powerful (Infantino had earlier given Trump the inaugural and newly-conjured FIFA Peace Prize, leading former BBC football presenter Gary Linekar to dub him ‘Gianni Sycophantino’). But those hoping this may trigger Infantino’s downfall will be disappointed. It emerged this weekend that he has the formal endorsement of more than 200 countries for re-election in March, making a fourth term all but inevitable.
As Dale Johnson of the BBC was quick to note, a European backlash “won’t worry Infantino”. Even though Germany’s football association is yet to write a letter of support for Infantino, there are only a tiny handful of FA’s that are yet to do so. Despite emerging from within Europe’s governing football body, UEFA, Infantino’s power base is in the non-western world. In many ways, his time at FIFA reflects the broader changes to global politics that have come about during his time in office: the weakening of the West at the expense of others, and a growing disregard for norms and rules.
Obscurity to controversy
One of the most recognisable global figures, Infantino was once an obscure UEFA official, never expected to become FIFA president. The son of Italian migrants to Switzerland who holds citizenship in both countries, he joined Europe’s football governing body in 2000 and rose to become Secretary-General nine years later. He was right-hand man to UEFA president Michael Platini, who most thought to take over at FIFA. But when a corruption scandal squashed those plans and forced FIFA president Sepp Blatter to resign, Infantino was Europe’s preferred candidate for the top job.
Ironically, given the latest accusations against him, Infantino was originally put forward as an anti-corruption candidate, being a member of FIFA’s reform committee. After promising change and transparency, Infantino narrowly defeated Jordan’s Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa in February 2016. A decade on, his relations with his former employer are increasingly strained.
