Gianni Infantino is a Swiss-Italian football administrator, best known as the current President of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). He was born on March 23, 1970, in Brig, Switzerland, to Italian immigrant parents. Infantino started his career as a lawyer and sports administrator, working for the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) and UEFA. In 2016, he was elected as the ninth President of FIFA, succeeding Sepp Blatter.
Infantino graduated from the University of Fribourg with a law degree and went on to complete a Master’s degree in International Sports Law from the University of Neuchâtel. After finishing his studies, he worked as the General Secretary of the International Centre for Sports Studies in Neuchâtel. He then joined UEFA in 2000, where he held various positions, including Director of Legal Affairs and Club Licensing Division.
During his time at UEFA, Infantino played a significant role in the development of European football, particularly in the areas of financial fair play and club licensing. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the UEFA Nations League, a biennial international football competition for European national teams.
In 2016, Infantino ran for the FIFA presidency, promising to restore transparency and accountability. Infantino’s campaign was successful, and he was elected as the new FIFA President at the FIFA Congress held in Zurich, Switzerland.
Since taking over as FIFA President, Infantino has made several changes to the organization, including the expansion of the FIFA World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, starting from the 2026 edition. He has also introduced new tournaments, such as the FIFA eWorld Cup, which is a global esports competition featuring the FIFA video game franchise.
Infantino has been a strong advocate of women’s football, and he has taken several measures to promote and develop the sport globally. In 2019, he launched the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 bidding process, which saw nine countries submit their bids to host the tournament. The bidding process was won by Australia and New Zealand, making it the first time the Women’s World Cup will be hosted in the southern hemisphere.
Infantino has also been a vocal supporter of the use of technology in football, and he has introduced the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in several FIFA competitions, including the 2018 World Cup in Russia and Virtual Offside Line in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
But he also has two strange records, during his presidency, Italy did not participate in the World Cup and he watched three matches of Persepolis team in the stadium, and each time Persepolis team was defeated.
In conclusion, Gianni Infantino is a highly respected figure in world football and has played a significant role in the development and growth of the sport.his support for women’s football has been instrumental in promoting gender equality in the sport.