Courting controversy and befriending Trump - who is Fifa boss Infantino?

What the report says

BBC Sport profiles Gianni Infantino as he reaches 10 years as Fifa president, a tenure that began in February 2016 after Sepp Blatter’s resignation and amid major corruption investigations involving football’s world governing body. Infantino, previously Uefa general secretary and widely known for conducting Champions League draws, was elected as a reform candidate after Michel Platini’s own route to the presidency collapsed during the scandal. BBC reports that he narrowly led the first ballot before winning 115 votes to 88.

The report says Infantino inherited a financially weakened Fifa, with sponsors having departed and a reported $550m shortfall, but the organisation now expects record revenue of about $13bn for the three-year cycle ending in 2026. That growth has been linked to major competition expansion, including the move to a 48-team World Cup and the enlarged Club World Cup, which is due to be staged in the United States. Critics cited by the BBC argue that Fifa’s recent interest in selling stakes in competitions, including the World Cup, risks commercialising the sport too far.

BBC Sport also sets out the controversies that have shaped Infantino’s public image. These include his defence of Qatar before the 2022 World Cup, clashes with player unions and European football bodies, the 2030 and 2034 World Cup hosting process, and scrutiny of his pay rise after re-election. The article notes that Saudi Arabia became the effective sole route for 2034 after the 2030 tournament was allocated across three continents.

More recently, the BBC says Infantino’s relationship with US President Donald Trump has drawn concern within European football, including after Infantino arrived late to a Fifa Congress while travelling with Trump in the Middle East. Despite the disputes, the report portrays him as still firmly positioned at the top of global football.