The 211 member federations’ delegates ushered in the 52-year-old Swiss attorney who succeeded the disgraced Sepp Blatter in 2016 for a third term by acclamation, exactly as they did four years prior.
Gianni Infantino won re-election as FIFA president till 2027 after facing no challengers during the organization’s conference on Thursday.
The 211 member federations’ delegates ushered in the 52-year-old Swiss attorney who succeeded the disgraced Sepp Blatter in 2016 for a third term by acclamation, exactly as they did four years prior.
“To all those who love me, and I know there are so many, and to those who despise me, I know there are a few: I love you all,” Infantino said to the delegates in the capital city of Rwanda, where the voting mechanism did not count the amount of dissenting votes.
Infantino said in December that his first three years as president did not constitute as a complete term, despite FIFA laws now limiting a president to a maximum of three four-year terms. This has already set the stage for Infantino to remain until 2031.
Infantino, who fiercely defended Qatar’s decision to host the World Cup last year as the Gulf state’s treatment of migrant workers, women, and the LGBTQ community came under scrutiny, has presided over the expansion of the men’s and women’s World Cups as well as significant increases in FIFA revenues.
Lise Klaveness, the president of the Norwegian Football Federation, had said that she would not back Infantino and had put out a motion for the congress to consider “FIFA’s obligations to correct human rights breaches” in respect to the World Cup in Qatar and future competitions.
But, Infantino’s mostly European-based rivals were unable to put out a contender to challenge the guy who had served as Michel Platini’s assistant at UEFA.
increased World Cup
The 2026 World Cup, the first to feature 48 nations, would be “the most inclusive World Cup ever,” Infantino said as he shifted his attention to the upcoming four years.
As a result of starting with 12 groups of four countries, FIFA said on Tuesday that the North American tournament will feature 104 matches, a significant increase from the 64 at the most recent World Cup.
There will be 32 teams competing in the forthcoming women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand later this year, an increase from the last tournament’s 24 teams in 2019.
A new, extended Club World Cup with 32 teams would also be introduced by Infantino, to be held every four years beginning in 2025.
He addressed attendees at the 73rd FIFA Congress that we need more contests throughout the world, not less.
In addition, Infantino forecasted revenue of $11 billion for the four years leading up to 2026, up from $7.5 billion for the previous cycle of four years ending in 2022.
Nevertheless, he said that the number did not account for Club World Cup income, indicating that the actual sum will be significantly higher.
Because of those increased financial outcomes, FIFA is able to continue raising the amount of money it gives to federations as subsidies, which makes it more likely that they will continue to support Infantino.
FIFA distributes funds equally in order to “make football really global,” as Infantino claims, at a time when elite European clubs are able to horde talent and resources.
As a result, countries like Trinidad & Tobago and Papua New Guinea receive the same funding as Brazil and are each given one vote in the conference.
The 54 African federations or the 35 Central American countries, which include a number of Caribbean islands, will support the FIFA president, so he need not be concerned about upsetting the dominant European countries.
Because of this, Infantino’s coveting of a new term was unaffected by the failure of preparations for a biannual World Cup or the decision to forbid rainbow-themed “One Love” armbands advocating LGBTQ rights at the World Cup in Qatar.
While Infantino’s ambitions for growth are still in place, the wounds in football do not appear to be repairing.
For instance, the World Leagues Forum, which represents 44 leagues globally, has expressed dissatisfaction with FIFA for not seeking their input before unveiling plans for the new Club World Cup, which would be crammed into a “already congested” schedule.
