Gianni Infantino re-elected as FIFA president until 2027
Gianni Infantino has been re-elected as president of FIFA for four more years, after running unopposed at the congress of world football’s ruling body.
The 52-year-old Swiss-Italian lawyer was confirmed in office by acclamation at the gathering in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, on Thursday.
It is officially his first re-election since he initially took over the remaining term of his suspended predecessor, Joseph Blatter, in 2016. This means he can seek another term in 2027 until 2031, according to FIFA statutes.
Infantino’s re-election was a formality after no other candidate came forward, even if he is not universally popular among member associations for a range of reasons, including pushing for a failed plan to play the World Cup every two years. Several European countries, including Germany, Norway and Sweden, have not been happy with his presidency and said they would not actively support him.
“Let me simply thank all of you,” Infantino told delegates after being confirmed by a standing ovation at the 73rd FIFA Congress, where the voting system did not register the number of dissident voices.
