When Infantino took over as president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) from the corruption-accused Sepp Blatter in 2016, he said in his acceptance speech that he wanted to start a new era. But even under Infantino's leadership, much has revolved around the words money, limited transparency and concentration of power.
+ Rewarded by Putin
Infantino was awarded the Russian Order of Friendship by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a ceremony in the Kremlin in 2019. In connection with the medal ceremony, the FIFA president praised the organization of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which he called "the best World Cup ever."
+ Human rights and guest workers
The World Cup in Qatar has come under sharp criticism over workers' rights and allegations of modern slavery. Infantino has hit back, calling it "hypocrisy" and "racism."
He also gave an infamous speech about discrimination in which he said he felt like “a Qatari, an Arab, an African, a homosexual, a disabled person and a migrant worker.”
+ World Cup to Saudi Arabia
The 2034 World Cup has been awarded to Saudi Arabia, another country where human rights are often discussed. It is no secret that FIFA and Saudi Arabia have developed a close relationship under Infantino's leadership.
The path to the decision has also been questioned. When it was decided that the 2030 finals would be held on three continents - Africa, Europe and South America - it meant that the 2034 host country had to be in Asia or Oceania. There was then no competitor to Saudi Arabia.
+ Peace Prize to Trump
US President Donald Trump was disappointed not to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. Infantino solved this by creating a peace prize (FIFA Peace Prize), which he gave to Trump. The prize was immediately criticized because it did not seem to have been rooted in FIFA.
+ Sell the World Cup
Infantino's latest move has been to sell parts of the World Cup in a separate company to commercial players, a proposal that has sparked outrage around the world. The European Football Association (Uefa) responded with a threat to boycott future World Cup tournaments and also received support from other continents. The storm of criticism eventually led Fifa to scrap the proposal.
+ The future
The next election for FIFA president will be held on March 18, 2027. Despite criticism, especially from Europe, most people are in favor of a four-year re-election for the Swiss, as he has made FIFA financially stronger, which small nations have appreciated.
The chairman of the Danish Football Association, Jesper Møller, is one of those who has been openly critical of Infantino's latest move to sell out the World Cup.
"I completely agree that trust in the FIFA president has disappeared. Therefore, I cannot support him, just as we did not in 2023," Møller wrote on Saturday.
Age: 56 years.
Nationality: Switzerland, Italy, Lebanon.
Lives in: Zug but grew up in Brig, both in Switzerland.
Family: Wife and four children.
Background: Trained as a lawyer, joined the European Football Association (Uefa) in 2000 and was Secretary General from 2009 to 2016 when he was elected President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
