Gianni Infantino has become embroiled in his latest controversy as FIFA President after he lifted the suspension of USA forward Folarin Balogun ahead of their 4-1 World Cup Round of 16 defeat to Belgium.
Balogun had been sent off during the USA’s Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina last week, but FIFA announced on Sunday that his dismissal had been suspended and he started as Mauricio Pochettino’s side were well beaten by Belgium.
Gianni Infantino’s relationship with Donald Trump has come under scrutiny
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The decision caused a massive uproar and an unsuccessful appeal from Belgium, with many accusing FIFA of political interference after revelations surfaced that Trump called Infantino about the incident.
It is unclear yet whether this incident will prove to be the tipping point for Infantino, but pressure is building on the FIFA President.
Will Infantino be forced to resign?
Infantino has so far dodged any calls to resign, and it is believed he has no plans to step down as he defended the independence of FIFA’s disciplinary committee, which ruled on Balogun’s suspension.
FIFA strictly outlaws political interference, only last month suspending the Nepalese federation for third-party interference. Infantino, though, is keen to stand for another term as FIFA President.
How likely is Infantino to be deposed?
With outside pressure building for Infantino to resign, he could potentially be forced to step down.
The likelihood of that happening, though, is pretty low as things stand, with Infantino adamant that he wants to be re-elected as FIFA President next year.
Under fire: Gianni Infantino
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Despite widespread criticism from European politicians and federations, Infantino retains support in Africa and South America, and so the backlash he has faced so far will have been of little consequence.
Should that change, and African and South American federations and political leaders take the same stance as Europe, then the pressure on Infantino could become insurmountable.
Who could replace Infantino as president?
Having won re-election unopposed in 2019 and 2023, there are currently no standout candidates to replace Infantino, and he would be confident of serving another four-year term if he stood for re-election in 2027.
Infantino already has the formal backing from several continental football bodies, including the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and South America’s CONMEBOL, which represent 111 of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations.
Who has called for Infantino to resign?
Among those to call for Infantino’s resignation are David Bernstein, former chair of the Football Association, and a number of British politicians.
Jurgen Klopp, who is set to become Germany’s new manager, and disgraced former FIFA President Sepp Blatter have also criticised Infantino.
Jurgen Klopp is leading the chorus of voices calling for Gianni Infantino to resign
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How did Infantino get elected, when and for how long?
Infantino was first elected as FIFA president in 2016 after Blatter’s departure.
He then won re-election unopposed in 2019 and 2023 and hopes to do so for a third time in 2027, which would see him in post until 2031.
When is FIFA’s next presidential election?
The next presidential election will be held on 18 March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco.
Infantino’s notable controversies
- Infantino was named in the Panama Papers shortly after his election in 2016. The documents indicated that, while a senior legal official at UEFA, he had co-signed a television-rights contract with a company subsequently linked to defendants in the investigation into FIFA corruption. Infantino said he was “dismayed” by the claims, and no charges resulted.
- The FIFA Ethics Committee opened an examination into whether Infantino had breached the FIFA Code of Ethics in 2016.
- In 2017, he removed Cornel Borbely and Hans-Joachim Eckert from their positions as the chairmen of the ethics committee’s investigatory and adjudicatory chambers. Subsequent reports suggested that Borbely had been examining complaints involving Infantino, among them an allegation that Infantino and the then secretary-general, Fatma Samoura, had sought to influence a confederation presidential election in Africa.
- Held undisclosed meetings with the Swiss Attorney General, Michael Lauber, while he was investigating corruption in international football. Lauber resigned in 2020 after a federal court found that he had breached his official duties and misled investigators about the meetings. Criminal charges were brought against Infantino and Lauber before being dropped in 2023.
- Relationships with political leaders such as Trump, who was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in 2025. Maintains similar relationships with Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, and the ruling families of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, all of whom have or are set to host World Cup finals.
- Widely criticised for his handling of human rights abuses at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Infamously said that he felt “Qatari, Arab, African, gay, disabled (and) like a migrant worker” in attempting to address the criticism, a move that was heavily criticised.
