Gianni Infantino is set to be waved in for a third four‑year term as FIFA president when the governing body holds its annual congress in Kigali, Rwanda, on Thursday. Delegates from the 211 member federations will have a limited choice at the 73rd FIFA Congress: re‑elect the 52‑year‑old incumbent by acclamation or symbolically disapprove. Infantino, unexpectedly elected in February 2016 after the scandal that brought down Sepp Blatter, stood unopposed for re‑election in 2019 and is now poised to remain in charge of world football until at least 2027. Although the statutes of the Zurich‑based organisation currently limit a president to three four‑year terms, Infantino has already prepared the ground to stay until 2031, declaring in December that his first three years at the helm did not count as a full term.
The Swiss‑Italian lawyer, born less than 10 kilometres from Blatter’s home village, has never been far from controversy. During his tenure he has expanded both the men’s World Cup and the Club World Cup, and he staunchly defended Qatar, host of the recent men’s World Cup, despite criticism of the country’s treatment of migrant workers, women and the LGBTQ community. Infantino accused Western critics of “hypocrisy” and “double standards.” In Kigali, however, his re‑election will not be uncontested; the Norwegian Football Federation has tabled a proposal to discuss “FIFA’s responsibilities to remedy human rights abuses” in relation to the Qatar World Cup and future tournaments.
European opponents have been unable to field a candidate against Infantino, who has already overseen the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 edition in North America. This increase will add a significant number of matches, just as the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will feature 32 teams, up from 24 at the last edition. Infantino has delivered on promises to make those tournaments bigger and now seeks to push through another pet project: an expanded Club World Cup. “The new competition will take place in 2025 and will feature 32 teams, making it really like a World Cup,” he said in Doha in December.
The past four years have seen FIFA undertake major reforms of the football transfer system, including introducing a licence for agents and capping agents’ commissions. Moves were made to guarantee mandatory maternity leave for pregnant footballers, and disciplinary rules for sexual‑assault cases have been tightened. Infantino can also point to healthy financial results: FIFA revenues increased 18 percent in the last four‑year cycle, and reserves rose 45 percent.
These improved finances allow FIFA to increase subsidies to federations, helping ensure continued support for Infantino. A 48‑team World Cup will generate even greater revenues; FIFA announced in December projected income of $11 billion up to 2026, compared with $7.5 billion in the cycle ending in 2022. To make football “truly global,” as Infantino says, FIFA distributes money evenly, so nations such as Trinidad and Tobago and Papua New Guinea receive the same amounts as Brazil, each with one vote at the congress. As long as the president retains the backing of the 35 Central American nations, numerous Caribbean islands, and the 54 African federations, he need not worry about upsetting powerful European nations.
Consequently, failed plans for a biennial World Cup or the decision to ban rainbow‑themed “One Love” armbands promoting LGBTQ rights at the Qatar tournament do not threaten Infantino’s new term. Yet fractures in football show no sign of healing as his expansion plans continue. For example, the World Leagues Forum, representing 44 leagues worldwide, has complained that FIFA did not consult with them before announcing the new Club World Cup, which will be shoe‑horned into an already overloaded calendar.
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