Gianni Infantino is set to be waved in for a third four-year term as FIFA president when world football’s governing body holds its annual congress in the Rwandan capital Kigali on Thursday, March 16, 2023.
Delegates from the 211 member federations will have a limited choice at the 73rd Fifa Congress, between re-electing the 52-year-old incumbent by acclamation or symbolically disapproving.
Unexpectedly elected in February 2016 following the scandal that brought down Sepp Blatter, Infantino already stood unopposed for re-election in 2019 and is now poised to stay in charge of world football until at least 2027.
According to Supersport.com, while the statutes of the Zurich-based organisation currently limit a president to a maximum of three four-year terms, Infantino who has never been far away from controversy as president of FIFA, has already prepared the ground to stay until 2031, declaring in December that his first three years at the helm did not count as a full term.
He staunchly defended Qatar as host of the 2022 World Cup, women and the LGBTQ community came under the spotlight, moved to expand the men’s World Cup and the Club World Cup during his time at the helm.
European opponents to Infantino were not able to put forward a candidate to stand against the president who has already overseen the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 32 teams to 48 in time for the 2026 edition in North America.
That is set to lead to a significant increase in the number of matches played, just as the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will feature 32 teams, up from 24 at the last edition.
Infantino can also point to healthy financial results, with FFA revenues increasing 18 per cent in the last four-year cycle and reserves up 45 per cent.
Those improved financial results allow the world body to keep on increasing the amount of money it provides in subsidies to federations, in turn helping ensure many of them will continue to back Infantino.
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