A money machine and Morocco on the rise: what we learned from Fifa congress

Gianni Infantino bungled one political move in Canada while also making it clear Europe is on the fringes of his thinking Gianni Infantino’s final words of the 76th Fifa congress were the least surprising of an otherwise intriguing week. “I wanted you to be the first to know,” the Fifa president said with a straight face of his decision to seek re-election next year, which has been an open secret since before his previous victory in 2023, as Fifa’s statutes were altered to permit such an outcome a few months earlier. (Having introduced a three-term limit after Infantino replaced Sepp Blatter in 2016, Fifa’s governance, audit and compliance committee ruled in December 2022 that his first 39 months in office did not count, as he was completing his disgraced predecessor’s term). Continue reading... Gianni Infantino bungled one political move in Canada while also making it clear Europe is on the fringes of his thinking Gianni Infantino’s final words of the 76th Fifa congress were the least surprising of an otherwise intriguing week.

“I wanted you to be the first to know,” the Fifa president said with a straight face of his decision to seek re-election next year, which has been an open secret since before his previous victory in 2023, as Fifa’s statutes were altered to permit such an outcome a few months earlier. (Having introduced a three-term limit after Infantino replaced Sepp Blatter in 2016, Fifa’s governance, audit and compliance committee ruled in December 2022 that his first 39 months in office did not count, as he was completing his disgraced predecessor’s term). Beyond the congress hall however, there were plenty of other significant developments as football’s rulers met for the last time before next month’s World Cup. A significant clue as to how Infantino can count on the backing of more than half of Fifa’s 211 members before he has even announced his candidacy came earlier in his speech to congress, when he announced Fifa’s forecast revenues for the 2027-2030 cycle had increased to $14bn (£10.3bn), before promising to do “much, much better.” As a result he pledged that Fifa’s financial distribution to the federations would increase by 20% over the next four years to a minimum of $2.7bn, continuing a theme of a week that had begun with the Fifa council agreeing to increase its payments to the 48 World Cup teams by at least $2m after lobbying by Uefa. “Fifa’s money is your money,” Infantino said, with most of his audience lapping it up.

Infantino’s claim last month that “there would be no football in 150 countries in the world” without Fifa’s largesse is strongly contested, but there is no doubt that such funding is highly effective in buttressing his power. The Palestinian Football Association’s president, Jibril Rajoub, refused to take the stage alongside Basim Sheikh Suliman, the Israeli FA’s vice-president, despite repeated and increasingly desperate entreaties from Infantino. Given Fifa is already facing legal action from the lobby group World Leagues and the global players’ union, Fifpro, its willingness to invite another row was unexpected. Fifa also confirmed that the next men’s Africa Cup of Nations will take place in the summer of 2027, but beyond that there was little discussion over agreeing the international match calendar beyond 2030, the next big issue that will divide the sport. Beyond that there will also be disputes over the timing and size of the next Club World Cup, with an expansion to 48 teams and creation of a preliminary tournament expected as a means of taking Fifa’s revenues beyond $14bn.

While the clubs and leagues are seeking answers, Infantino appears to be delaying the debate until after next year’s election. The announcement that next year’s congress – and Infantino’s re-election – will take place in the Moroccan capital of Rabat provided another indication of the new world order, as Fifa’s big annual shindig has not taken place in Europe since Paris in 2019. Although Infantino inevitably attracted most attention, of more long-term significance may have been a speech from the Concacaf president, Victor Montagliani. Speaking in his home city, the Canadian emphasised that Fifa’s priority should be service rather than power, a noticeable counterpoint to Infantino’s focus on revenue and distribution. While he has yet to commit to running, Montagliani is widely seen as a credible candidate should a genuinely open presidential election take place in 2031, although there have also been murmurings that Fifa’s statutes could be altered yet again to permit Infantino a fourth full term.

Explore more on these topics Share Reuse this content Gianni Infantino bungled one political move in Canada while also making it clear Europe is on the fringes of his thinking Gianni Infantino’s final words of the 76th Fifa congress were the least surprising of an otherwise intriguing week. “I wanted you to be the first to know,” the Fifa president said with a straight face of his decision to seek re-election next year, which has been an open secret since before his previous victory in 2023, as Fifa’s statutes were altered to permit such an outcome a few months earlier. (Having introduced a three-term limit after Infantino replaced Sepp Blatter in 2016, Fifa’s governance, audit and compliance committee ruled in December 2022 that his first 39 months in office did not count, as he was completing his disgraced predecessor’s term). Continue reading... A money machine and Morocco on the rise: what we learned from Fifa congress