Gianni Infantino: When Football Becomes Power, Politics and Business
Gianni Infantino should leave the presidency of FIFA.
Not because every accusation against him has been proven. They have not.
But because, in my view, his model of leadership has pushed FIFA too far toward the intersection of politics, geopolitics, private capital and commercial power.
Infantino, born in Switzerland to Italian parents, studied law and built his career at UEFA, where he eventually became Secretary General. In 2016 he became FIFA President, succeeding Sepp Blatter.
He arrived promising a new era after the corruption scandals that had damaged FIFA.
Ten years later, the fundamental question is different:
Did Infantino reform FIFA—or simply create an even more powerful and commercial FIFA?
His presidency has dramatically expanded FIFA’s commercial ambitions. More teams, more competitions, more broadcasting rights and more global markets have transformed football into an enormous business.
But football is not simply a product.
It is culture, identity, history and passion.
And the latest controversy is particularly serious.
In July 2026, FIFA proposed the creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise, a new commercial structure that would have involved private investors in FIFA’s future commercial rights. The proposal was valued at around $20 billion, with an investment of approximately $4.2 billion.
The project was abandoned after fierce opposition, particularly from UEFA.
Now UEFA is preparing a criminal complaint in Switzerland alleging possible criminal mismanagement and is seeking documents concerning how the project was developed, valued and approved. These are allegations—not a conviction—but they raise serious questions about FIFA governance. (Al Jazeera)
The most troubling question is simple:
Why should the president of FIFA be able to develop a multi-billion-dollar restructuring of football’s commercial assets without a fully transparent and independently scrutinised process?