Politicians, private jets and power - the life of a Fifa president

What the report says

Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, is facing renewed scrutiny as he tries to move on from backlash over the failed plan to bring private investment into Fifa’s World Cup-related business. BBC Sport Football reports that he has recently been traveling to meetings and high-profile events, including a trip to Bogota for the inauguration of Colombia’s new president, alongside Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez and Colombian football officials. The article presents this as part of the wider, highly political style of Fifa leadership, which involves maintaining relationships with senior figures in government and football across multiple continents.

The report says Infantino’s role comes with extensive travel, high-level security-style transport, and a substantial salary package, all of which underline the scale of the office. It also notes that he has built a close relationship with US President Donald Trump, a connection that has drawn criticism from some in football who believe Infantino has blurred the line between sport and politics. That criticism intensified after Fifa’s aborted private investment proposal, which prompted an apology from Infantino.

BBC Sport Football says resistance inside European football remains significant, with Uefa still threatening a boycott of Fifa tournaments. The article suggests that although Infantino has support from outside Europe and is unlikely to step aside easily, the controversy has raised broader questions about how Fifa is run, how much political engagement is appropriate, and whether the president’s power is now too concentrated.