Infantino worked as the Secretary General of the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) at the
University of Neuchâtel. During his time there, UEFA introduced Financial Fair Play and improved commercial support to smaller national associations. and played a role in the conception of the
UEFA Nations League and the
UEFA Euro 2020, which was intended to take place in 13 European nations before the number was reduced to 11. In 2015, the
Greek government decided to introduce a new sports law in response to the recent
scandal and acts of violence and corruption mainly in
Greek football. Infantino, as
UEFA's general secretary, led the negotiations with the Greek government and supported the
Hellenic Football Federation's warning to Greece that it faced suspension from international football for government interference.
FIFA at the
68th FIFA Congress, 13 June 2018 ,
Mohammad bin Salman and
Nicolas Sarkozy at the
FIFA World Cup in Russia, 14 June 2018 in 2019 in 2025 Infantino was a member of FIFA's Reform Committee. On 26 October 2015, he received the backing of the UEFA Executive Committee to stand for the position of president in the 2016 FIFA Extraordinary Congress. On the same day, he confirmed his candidacy and submitted the required declarations of support. He promised to expand the
FIFA World Cup to forty teams. On 26 February 2016, he was elected FIFA President for a period of three years. Infantino, who holds dual Swiss and Italian citizenship through his parents, became the first Italian to hold the Presidency of FIFA. In 2017, Infantino criticised the United States'
travel ban on several
Muslim-majority nations. He said, "When it comes to FIFA competitions, any team, including the supporters and officials of that team, who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup. That is obvious."
2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia In 2019, Infantino accepted the
Order of Friendship medal given to him by
Vladimir Putin, following the
2018 FIFA World Cup. He described the 2018 World Cup as the "best World Cup ever". Infantino has stated he is "dismayed" at the reports and that he has never personally dealt with the parties involved. On 3 May 2022,
Human Rights Watch published a report documenting alleged violations of workers’ rights by Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, concerning laborers who died while working on stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
Women's rights In
Iran, after the
1979 Islamic revolution, women were banned from stadiums when men's teams were playing. Infantino repeatedly warned Iranian football federation and
Islamic Republic of Iran authorities about Iranian women's rights. On 8 September 2019,
Sahar Khodayari self-immolated after being arrested for trying to enter a stadium. Our position is clear and firm. Women have to be allowed into football stadiums in Iran. Now is the moment to change things. Infantino, September 2019 Following that incident, FIFA assured Iranian women that they would be able to attend stadiums starting from October 2019.
2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar With the holding of the
World Cup in Qatar, the issue of migrant workers' rights attracted attention. Qatar has been accused of unpaid wages, imposing excessive working hours, illegal recruitment and the deaths of workers who helped build Qatar stadiums. When questioned about abuses suffered by migrant workers involved in preparations for the
2022 FIFA World Cup in
Qatar, Infantino said that migrant workers were given work and pay and were proud to contribute to constructing the stadiums. The tournament has been condemned by human rights group Amnesty International, which has alleged that workers were subject to forced labour. On 19 November 2022, just before the World Cup began, Gianni Infantino stated that he “felt Qatari, Arab, African, gay, disabled, and like a migrant worker”. Infantino also charged Western countries with "hypocrisy" for criticising Qatar on moral grounds. In an hour-long monologue, he told reporters: "What we Europeans have been doing for the last 3,000 years, we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons." Infantino also used the speech to accuse Western companies operating in Qatar of hypocrisy for profiting from doing business in the country without discussing the rights of migrant workers with Qatari authorities.
Norwegian national team coach
Ståle Solbakken responded to Infantino's outburst by saying that Infantino is not fit to teach anyone about morals and ethics and that he is neither a great sports leader nor a great historian.
2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia and Donald Trump in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 13 May 2025 On 31 October 2023, Infantino announced that Saudi Arabia would host the
2034 FIFA World Cup. FIFA restricted the hosting eligibility to Asia or Oceania after it made the decision to host the
2030 FIFA World Cup on three continents (Africa, Europe and South America) alongside the restriction of North America following the
2026 FIFA World Cup. This paved the way for Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup by substantially reducing opportunities for competing host bids. Infantino has a documented relationship with the Saudi regime. This ruled out European, African and South American nations from bidding to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, allowing only Asian or Oceanian bids. FIFA also unexpectedly sped up the bidding process for the World Cup, giving only 25 days for interested nations to express their intent to host. Within minutes, Saudi Arabia announced a bid; within hours, the head of the Asian Football Confederation supported that bid.
FIFA Club World Cup In 2024, FIFA decided, with Infantino's approval, that Infantino's name would be engraved on the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup trophy. The trophy also included the following passage: "We are witness to a new age. The golden era of club football: the era of the FIFA Club World Cup. The pinnacle of all club competitions. Inspired by the FIFA president Gianni Infantino." Even after the expansion to 32 teams, FIFA and Infantino have already considered a further expansion to 48 teams for the Club World Cup, with the tournament being played biannually.
75th FIFA Congress During the 75th
FIFA Congress on 15 May 2025 in
Asunción, Infantino arrived two hours late to the meeting as a result of meeting with the President of the United States
Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. As a result,
UEFA leaders all walked out in protest and accused Infantino of prioritising political interests over football.
FIFA World Cup scheduling During the European Football Clubs general assembly on 9 October 2025, Infantino reportedly told the delegates to "keep an open mind" about scheduling the FIFA World Cup, which has traditionally been held during European summer during June to August, to winter months stating that limiting the tournament's scheduling would prevent the globalisation of football as the current scheduling is too hot to play in some countries.
FIFA Peace Prize In November 2025, he introduced the
FIFA Peace Prize, with President of the United States
Donald Trump receiving the inaugural award in
Washington, D.C. in December 2025. The award and recipient have drawn criticism, given that Trump "has aggressively campaigned for and carped about" the
Nobel Peace Prize; both the timing and the optics were remarked upon and "have fueled questions about the blurring of sport and diplomacy". == FIFA ethics investigations ==