Infantino’s presidency under threat: FIFA elections, challengers, dates
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, currently the most powerful man in world football, appears to be pulling out all the stops in a bid to retain his position despite growing calls for his ouster and wide-ranging disapproval of his plans. The 56-year-old has been in charge of FIFA for over 10 years and is seen as a divisive figure in international football, with his close ties to some of the most powerful global leaders and plans for maximising revenue from football viewed as a threat to the game.
Why It Matters
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Key Facts
- Fact 1: The 56-year-old has been in charge of FIFA for over 10 years and is seen as a divisive figure in international football, with his close ties to some of the most powerful global leaders and plans for maximising revenue from football viewed as a threat to the game.
- Fact 2: The FIFA chief first met Trump at the White House in 2018 after the US was awarded the co-hosting rights to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Fact 3: Infantino has since made several public appearances with the US president, including at the so-called Summit for Peace in Egypt in October 2025.
- Fact 4: Infantino was the target of widespread scathing criticism in December, when he handed the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to the US president at the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw held at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, currently the most powerful man in world football, appears to be pulling out all the stops in a bid to retain his position despite growing calls for his ouster and wide-ranging disapproval of his plans. The 56-year-old has been in charge of FIFA for over 10 years and is seen as a divisive figure in international football, with his close ties to some of the most powerful global leaders and plans for maximising revenue from football viewed as a threat to the game.
Root ‘hacked off’ by England cricket team after police handcuff Carse Big-spending Tottenham sign Brazilian winger Savinho from Manchester City Ex-Wimbledon champion Vondrousova appeals to CAS over four-year doping ban Ex-Liverpool star Fabinho reunited with Mohamed Salah at Trabzonspor With a little over six months until the next round of elections for FIFA’s presidency, Infantino appears to be losing ground among his usual backers in national football federations and regional confederations. Here’s a look at where Infantino stands in terms of support and what challenges lie ahead for him and FIFA: Why is Infantino being challenged as FIFA president? While the Swiss head of FIFA has never been a widely popular figure with football fans, he has enjoyed support amongst leading figures in the sport and global leaders.
(Original synthesis pending human/AI review — generated by the stub provider by selecting real sentences from the source material, not by writing new analysis or commentary.)
Original source: Al Jazeera
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