Infantino’s Decade at FIFA: Reform Promises, Power Consolidation, and Growing Controversies

On May 27 2015 Swiss police entered the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich and, at the request of U.S. authorities, detained several FIFA officials. The scandal that followed toppled Sepp Blatter and prompted a reform committee to diagnose an “organization in crisis.” Gianni Infantino, a former UEFA lawyer, was elected president in February 2016, pledging to “restore the image of FIFA and the respect of FIFA, and everyone in the world will applaud us.”

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

The 2015 committee recommended that the president become a figurehead while a secretary-general acted as chief executive. Instead, Infantino has operated as an executive leader, a role the reforms sought to prevent. He stood for re-election unopposed in 2023, and no challenger is expected for the 2027 race.

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

FIFA’s revenue for the 2023-2026 cycle is projected at $13 billion, rising to $14 billion for 2027-2030. Development payments to each of the 211 member associations increased from $5 million in 2016 to up to $8 million every four years. Infantino’s total compensation reached approximately $6 million in 2026, with a base salary of $2.6 million and a 33 % bonus increase to $2.78 million, set by a compensation sub-committee chaired by Swiss banker Bruno Chiomento.

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

FIFA asserts that development funding is audited annually and that 14 federations currently have funding suspended or restricted for misuse concerns. The organization emphasizes its status as a Swiss-registered non-profit that reinvests over 90 % of revenue back into football.

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

Critics describe the president’s power as “rooted in a model of patronage that disincentivizes ethical conduct” (FairSquare) and label the development payments “vote-buying” or “de facto bribes.” Infantino’s proximity to authoritarian leaders is documented through an Order of Friendship from Vladimir Putin, defense of Qatar’s human-rights record, travel on a Qatar-provided aircraft, and a central role in awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia.

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA introduced dynamic pricing. Final-match tickets rose from $6,730 to $10,990, while the cheapest $60 tickets were limited to a few hundred per game. The average cheapest group-stage ticket in Los Angeles was $1,040 on the resale market. The New York and New Jersey attorneys general launched a joint investigation, issuing a subpoena and examining possible consumer-protection violations. Infantino responded that fans “should chill.”

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

• “We will restore the image of FIFA and the respect of FIFA, and everyone in the world will applaud us.” — Gianni Infantino, acceptance speech, February 2016

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

• “The money of FIFA is your money,” — Gianni Infantino, 2016 campaign speech

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

• “should chill.” — Gianni Infantino, comment on ticket pricing

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

• “rooted in a model of patronage that disincentivizes ethical conduct.” — FairSquare report

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

• “almost too big to fail or too big to pull apart.” — Bonita Mersiades, former Australian football executive

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

Critics label development payments as vote-buying, while FIFA maintains they are audited and essential for building infrastructure in smaller federations. The attorneys-general investigation remains ongoing with no findings published, leaving the legality of dynamic ticket pricing unresolved.

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.

Infantino faces no formal challenger in the 2027 presidential election, but the New York and New Jersey investigations, along with continued scrutiny from human-rights groups, will shape the governance debate ahead of the 2026 World Cup’s conclusion.

He Was Elected to Clean Up FIFA. A Decade Later, the President Is More Powerful Than Blatter Ever Was.