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Gianni Infantino's spell in charge of FIFA has been rife with controversy.
The Swiss-born administrator rose to the top of soccer's governing body as it floundered, taking over from a disgraced predecessor with directives to stamp out corruption in the beautiful game.
Ten years on, FIFA's president has helped facilitate eye-catching revenue totals. However, his antics have proven increasingly hard to ignore, leading some to view him as a tyrant presiding over the world's most popular sport.
With that, here's a look at Infantino's biggest controversies since being installed as FIFA's head.
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Gianni Infantino timeline at FIFA
UEFA role and first FIFA presidential election
Prior to his time as FIFA president, Infantino was a bigwig in UEFA's ranks. The Swiss-born administrator rose from the title of director of legal affairs to deputy general and secretary general, overseeing, among other things, the expansion of the European Championship and the creation of the Nations League.
In October 2015, Infantino announced his intention to run for president following Sepp Blatter's resignation. He won his race, besting Bahrain's Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa, the man widely tipped as the favourite in the lead-up to the election.
Investigation into breach of ethics code 2016
Shortly after his election, Infantino was the subject of a probe by FIFA's ethics committee.The investigation centered around Infantino's decision to accept two private jet flights. The Guardian reported that Infantino was left "furious and indignant" at the prospect of being investigated. He was summarily cleared of those accusations.
One year later, Infantino faced another investigation, with some suggesting that he facilitated the sudden ouster of two chairmen and all but two members of the ethics committee.
Swiss prosecutor Cornel Borbely and former German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert charged Infantino with making a "political" decision, per The Guardian. They alleged that the FIFA president did not seek to have an independent body looking into corruption allegations leveled at soccer's governing body.
The Guardian reported that Borbely, the chairman of the ethics committee's "investigatory chamber", was looking into complains that Infantino and FIFA's former general secretary, Fatma Samoura, had attempted to influence the election of their preferred candidate for president of the Confederation of African Football, Ahmad Ahmad. Infantino was also accused of aiding in longstanding CAF president Issa Hayatou's dismissal, possibly because Hayatou endorsed Al-Khalifa in the 2016 election.
FIFA's ethics committee also looked into allegations that Infantino violated regulations by meeting with Switzerland's then-attorney general, Michael Lauber, in 2016 and 2017. Infantino and Lauber were unable to provide specific details of what they discussed during their meetings but denied any wrongdoing, per Sky Sports. FIFA's ethics committee cleared Infantino in Aug. 2020, per Reuters.
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Qatar World Cup and Western 'hypocrisy'
One day before the onset of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Infantino slammed Western countries for their perceived "hypocrisy" regarding criticism of FIFA awarding the tournament to the Gulf nation, which drew rancor for its treatment of migrant workers.
Infantino called on Westerners to address their nations' crimes against humanity, of which there are thousands, before turning their attention to Qatar.
“I’m European. For what we Europeans have been doing around the world in the last 3,000 years, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people,” Infantino said.
Infantino took shots at Westerners, alleging that opponents of FIFA's decision to host the World Cup ignored their governments' and corporations' decisions to invest heavily into Qatar and other nations in the region.
“I came here six years ago and addressed the matter of migrant workers straight on, in my very first meeting,” Infantino said. “How many of these European or Western business companies, who earned millions and millions from Qatar and other countries in the region, billions every year, how many of them addressed the rights of migrant workers with the authorities?
“I have the answer for you. None of them. The one-sided moral lesson is just hypocrisy.”
Infantino also uttered one of the more memorable quotes of his tenure in charge, redirecting criticism over FIFA's apparent endorsement of Qatar's treatment of migrant workers and members of the LGBTQ+ community into a noteworthy catchphrase.
“Today, I feel Qatari. Today, I feel Arab. Today, I feel African. Today, I feel gay. Today, I feel disabled. Today, I feel like a migrant worker.”
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Saudi Arabia World Cup criticism
Saudi Arabia has proven to be one of FIFA's biggest allies during Infantino's tenure. Aramco, the Gulf nation's state-owned oil company, agreed to a four-year global partnership with soccer's governing body in 2024. The Aramco deal, which includes sponsorship rights for the 2027 Women's World Cup, can help explain some of FIFA's profits — which exceeded billion during the men's World Cup. So too can FIFA's deal with the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.
The relationship was cemented with FIFA's announcement that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup in Dec. 2024. Infantino had already revealed that the Gulf nation would host the competition more than a year earlier, congratulating Saudi Arabia for its acclamation despite the fact that the host venue selection had yet to go to a vote.
The process by which FIFA selected Saudi Arabia was marred in controversy. Saudi Arabia was the sole bidder for the tournament after FIFA installed a curious process that limited bids to just Asia and Oceania. Australia considered launching a bid but concluded that it would have been unable to outshine Saudi Arabia, per The New York Times.
Saudi Arabia, too, has been the subject of allegations of human rights violations, with many believing the country is incapable of hosting the competition.
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FIFA Peace Prize and relationship with Donald Trump
Infantino drew the ire of many observers following his decision to unilaterally award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize — a newly-crafted accolade granted to the individuals believed to have done the most to unite the masses of soccer enthusiasts — to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump, a longtime friend and supporter of Infantino, was believed to have desired the Nobel Peace Prize. Infantino, his longtime friend and supporter, backed his nomination for the award on social media, claiming that he deserved the trophy after facilitating a "ceasefire" amid Israel's genocide of Palestinians.
Trump failed to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize. Instead, he was forced to settle for the FIFA Peace Prize, accepting the trophy during the World Cup draw in Dec. 2025.
Huge profits but accusations of "patronage"
FIFA has seen its profits swell in the years since Infantino was elected to its head. The non-profit reportedly made $15 billion during the 2026 World Cup, surpassing its prior expectations.
Infantino has played a big role in that revenue. He made it his mission to expand the World Cup during his term. The 2026 iteration proved the biggest competition yet, featuring 48 teams. There are suggestions that the tournament might try to expand to 64 teams before long.
It's unclear quite why Infantino and Co. are so captivated by the prospect of swelling its signature competition. An optimist might suggest that FIFA's chief has an inherent desire to see the sport flourish in new markets. A pragmatist might counter by suggesting that by dangling the carrot that is World Cup qualification to more member states, Infantino secures his place on the throne come election time — a sort of quid pro quo.
World Cup "sale" amid outcry from football world
Infantino's latest controversy saw him spin up a new commercial vehicle, dubbed "FIFA Forward Enterprise", in the hopes driving cash to member states across the world.
World soccer's governing body immediately drew rebuke for its approach to spurring on that so-called investment. FIFA plans on selling a "significant minority stake" to investors via a proposed new commercial enterprise, which will have direct access to the inner workings of football's most famous and globally recognized tournament.
The investment vehicle, first revealed in reports by Martyn Ziegler of The Times and in the Financial Times and shortly thereafter confirmed by FIFA, has many fans and entities fearful of the direction in which the game of football is heading.
According to Ziegler's report, the stake to be sold will be around 20%, with investors including banking titans JP Morgan, tech investor Joshua Kushner, and others. The entity will be valued at around $20 billion.
Many, including UK prime minister Andy Burnham, blasted news of Infantino's investment plan. Burnham claimed the proposition is destined to fail, saying "the World Cup is not a product" and was "never anyone's to sell."
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