Gianni Infantino was not the favourite to win the election in 2016, but managed to turn the tables in the elections held in Zurich and with it take command of a very touched FIFA under the presidency of Sepp Blatter. On Thursday 16 March, in Kigali, he will be re-elected for a four-year term. more like the visible boss of world football. He came with two clear goals: to rid world football’s highest body of suspicion and corruption, and to secure it FIFA will not just hold the World Cup every four yearssomething he has fully achieved.
The new panorama offered by the FIFA tournament calendar is already a reality. ripping the cycle in Qatar and will end in Canada, Mexico and the United States in 2026, Infantino got what he was looking for from day one, which is nothing less than putting FIFA in the spotlight every year and not every four. You write: Men’s World Cup (Qatar) next year, round for women’s football (Australia and New Zealand)twelve months later, time for the tournaments of each Confederation (European Cup), to culminate it all with the Club World Cup with 32 teams in 2025 and so on.
With Infantino at the helm, FIFA has implemented extensive reforms for regain its position as an institution defending the interests of football around the worldwhile setting a new benchmark in terms of sport governance.
– Multiplying investment in football development by seven compared to the period before 2016, taking into account that revenues have not been multiplied by the same amount; the increase in investment is the result of the new FIFA being efficient.
– Deep reforms in governance and financial management. FIFA’s fundamental change has been recognized by several external organizations, including the US Department of Justice, which has awarded the FIFA Foundation the sum of US$201 million in compensation for the losses suffered by FIFA Fifa, Concacaf and Conmebol as victims of decades of corruption schemes in football.
– Launch of a new Talent Development Plan directed by Arsène Wenger to help each member association reach their full potential and ultimately give all talents a chance.
– Huge growth in women’s football, with FIFA investing significant time and resources to support development at all levels, on and off the pitch. The FIFA Women’s World Cup held in France in 2019 was a real breakthrough, with more than 1.1 million spectators in stadiums and more than a billion spectators worldwide, and the 2023 edition will be even bigger, as it will be the first to be played with 32 teams and across two countries from different confederations. The bidding and voting process for the Women’s World Cup was also changed to match that of the Men’s tournament.
– Enlargement of the FIFA World Cup and renewal of the application process. Being the first edition with 48 teams, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will trigger a massive development on a local scale, as Infantino recalls. The nomination process has also been completely revampedincluding a clear evaluation process, with the publication of application dossiers, reports and scores. The final decision is now made by the 211 member associations in an open vote in the FIFA Congress.instead of the secret vote of the Executive Committee in the past.
– Covid aid plan. Thanks to its solid financial situation, FIFA was able to deal with the impact of the coronavirus on world football by launching an aid plan which put $1.5 billion available to the global football community through grants and loans.
– Use of technology. Great progress has been made in harnessing technology to the benefit of football, mainly through the expansion of the VARwhich makes the game fairer.
– Support education through football around the world with the launch of the innovative Football for Schools programme, as well as the African School League
– Launch of FIFA+, a new digital platform created to connect football fans from all over the world, providing access to live football matches from every corner of the planet, interactive games, news, tournament information and original video content. FIFA+ offers live coverage of men’s, women’s and youth football competitions from around the world that were previously unserviced.
– Reform of the transfer system. FIFA has taken key steps to better regulate the system and bring much-needed transparency, integrity and fairness: the creation of the FIFA Clearing House, the approval of the Football Agents’ Regulationslimiting the number of loans, greater protection of players by clubs and guarantees for pregnant players are some of the key measures.
He also experienced moments of tension like all those that grew up around the World Cup in Qatar, with the death of the workers employed in the construction of the stadiums, LGTBI rights and others, but don’t forget that the appointment has been setthat is, he found it when he was made president.
