As the 2026 World Cup gets underway, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confronts a growing ethics backlash that threatens his grip on football's governing body. Critics point to his open alignment with the White House, a high-profile visa scandal that has sidelined Africa's top referee, and the transformation of vital hydration breaks into television advertisement slots as evidence of a deepening crisis.
From Brig to the Top of World Football
Born in 1970 to modest Italian immigrants in the quiet Swiss town of Brig, Infantino grew up far from the corridors of power. His mother ran a railway station newsstand, while his father worked on sleeping cars. A multilingual lawyer by training, he quietly climbed the ranks at UEFA to become the trusted right-hand man to French football legend Michel Platini.
His big break came during the infamous 2015 "FIFAgate" corruption scandal that rocked world sport. When the FBI arrested top officials and sidelined Platini, Infantino launched a backroom campaign to seize the presidency. Platini later described him as an ambitious bureaucrat who ruthlessly plotted to take his boss's crown.
Remaking FIFA as a Money-Making Machine
Once in power, Infantino concentrated all decision-making power and remade FIFA into a profit-generating juggernaut. Expanding the tournament from 32 to 48 teams has pushed FIFA's four-year revenue to a record $13 billion. The organisation now operates with a corporate efficiency that its pre-2015 incarnation could never have imagined.
Yet opinions on his legacy are deeply split. Some see him as the master manager who successfully rebuilt FIFA from its 2015 ashes. Others view him as the ultimate symbol of corporate greed. On his social media accounts, his posts often end with the hashtag #FootballUnitesTheWorld.
But as this tournament shows, there is always another thing that unites: money. The commercialisation of every aspect of the game, from hydration breaks to ticket pricing, has drawn sharp criticism from fans and officials alike. For more on the ticket price controversy, see Infantino Defends World Cup Ticket Prices and Dismisses US Entry Controversy.
The ethical investigations are mounting. The visa scandal blocking Africa's top referee has raised questions about FIFA's commitment to fairness and transparency. Meanwhile, Infantino's alignment with the White House has sparked debate about the politicisation of sport, a topic that resonates across Europe as the EU's sports commissioner, Glenn Micallef, navigates the intersection of politics and football. Read more in EU Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef on Politics and Football Ahead of World Cup.
As ethical investigations mount, football's ultimate businessman might find his luck is finally running out. The brewing revolt among fans, players, and officials suggests that even the most powerful figures in sport are not immune to accountability.
