FIFA Chief Infantino: "Servile and Dangerous" – A Decade of Power and Money

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, has spent ten years turning the world football organization into a machine for generating money and serving powerful leaders, according to experts who have studied him. Critics describe him as "servile and dangerous." Infantino took control of FIFA after a major police raid in 2015. Swiss authorities arrested members of FIFA’s executive committee at the luxury Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich. The raid, requested by the U.S. Department of Justice, uncovered a bribery scandal. The previous president, Joseph Blatter, was forced to resign. Infantino, who was known for drawing team names in Champions League draws, was elected president in February 2016. He has since been re-elected twice without an opponent. Since taking office, Infantino has focused on maximizing revenue. FIFA, a non-profit organization, is expected to earn 11.236 billion euros in the current four-year cycle. That is 73% more than the previous cycle. The World Cup is the main source of this income. Ticket prices have risen sharply. A group-stage match is now 47% to 74% more expensive than in 2022. The cheapest ticket for the final costs 4,000 dollars, while the most expensive is 10,000 dollars. FIFA also uses "dynamic" pricing, where ticket costs rise with demand, and takes a 15% commission on resales. Infantino has built close ties with authoritarian leaders. He praised Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who gave him an award in 2019. He made billion-dollar deals with Saudi Arabia’s state oil company, Aramco. He even created a "Peace Prize" and gave it to U.S. President Donald Trump. "Two words define Infantino: servile and dangerous," said Jules Boykoff, a political science professor at Pacific University. "He is not the first megalomaniac and narcissist in international sports, but he must be the most servile. Servile to the molecular level." Boykoff added that Infantino’s servility is part of a plan to secure money. "He does not care about ethics or FIFA’s rules. He will do whatever it takes to keep the money flowing." Nick McGeehan, an international law expert and human rights researcher, said Infantino is attracted to power. "He is a very skilled communicator, but he cannot handle the power he has gained. The FIFA presidency has never been this powerful." McGeehan noted that Infantino copies the behavior of the leaders he admires. "He replicates the authoritarianism of the authoritarian leaders he admires." The president’s lifestyle reflects his focus on money. His base salary is 3.3 million dollars, with a bonus of 2.78 million dollars after a 33% increase this year. Critics say Infantino is damaging football. "He is putting a popular sport at risk with his high ticket prices. He needs this money to maintain his five-star lifestyle," Boykoff said. "He is sucking the magic out of what made football so special." Despite claiming FIFA cannot solve geopolitical problems, Infantino has partnered with Trump’s "Board of Peace" for Gaza. The plan, which Trump said would build a "Riviera" on the ruins of the territory, includes 50 mini football fields and a national stadium. FIFA’s rules limit a president to three terms of 12 years. But Infantino argues his first three years (2016-2019) do not count because they were the end of Blatter’s term. This means he could stay in power for another term after the 2027 elections.