Gianni Infantino put his right hand on his heart. The Fifa President was touched by the applause that had once again lifted him to the top of the world football association in the packed election arena, even without German support. “All who love me, all who hate me, I know there are a few – I love you all,” the re-elected president said Thursday at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, after the acclamation vote. The rejection by the German Football Association (DFB) and a few other nations had no effect.
Fifa General Secretary Fatma Samoura replied immediately and pathetically in the direction of the Swiss, who was already back in his seat: “We love you, President.” The congress in Rwanda was the expected Infantino show. The Fifa President, who indirectly indicated a lifelong work, spoke of an “incredible honor” with “incredible privileges” and “great responsibility”.
Fifa Secretary General Fatma Samoura
Which: REUTERS
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and his colleagues from the critical European nations must have listened with skepticism. Fifa must “become much more open and transparent in dealing with the national associations,” Neuendorf had already demanded on Wednesday, and Infantino, like the Swedes and Norwegians, refused direct support from the DFB in the election – knowing that the association with the largest number of members was doing so well like standing alone.
“Fifa’s money is your money,” says Infantino
For a good half hour, Infantino celebrated himself and Fifa shortly before the election for the merits of the past few years. It was most exciting for the 208 of the 211 associations present when it came to money. The world association will earn more than eleven billion US dollars, i.e. the equivalent of around 10.3 billion euros, by 2026. Infantino announced that the new Club World Cup, which was rushed out of the ground before Congress, could add “a few billion”. “Fifa’s money is your money,” added the 52-year-old, “every dollar invested is checked by independent auditors.”
Infantino used his closing speech for the remarkable announcement that the World Cup success bonuses in women’s football should be aligned with those in men’s football by 2027. That is the “most difficult” step on the way to so-called “equal pay”, i.e. the same pay for women and men in professional football. “The rights holders and sponsors have to do more,” Infantino demanded, referring to the sometimes massively lower offers from these partners for women’s football.
Since the first almost three and a half years are not counted, Infantino can be re-elected for four years in 2027. “If an entrepreneur announced that dividends would be increased by a factor of seven, you would keep him forever, then it would not just be a question of a four-year mandate,” Infantino said. He took over Fifa from the suspended Joseph Blatter (87) in early 2016 – both were born in the tranquil Swiss town of Valais.
“Your support touches me very much and makes me humble,” said the Swiss in the direction of the delegates, to whom he had given advice before the vote: “I just ask you to remember that football is joy, happiness , passion, love and peace, and that football is there to unite our beautiful world.”
In the end, the opposite was more the case. In any case, the last World Cup in Qatar at the end of 2022 was accompanied by sometimes appalling human rights violations, Fifa announced an analysis on Wednesday. Nevertheless, Infantino spoke again of the “best World Cup of all time”, which, however, will be replaced in 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico by the next “greatest World Cup of all time”. The fact that 48 national associations are taking part for the first time and that there will be 104 games, 40 more than in Qatar at the end of 2022, is one of Infantino’s long-term election promises, who know how to make perfect use of the questionable electoral system – the vote of every association, no matter how small, has the same value.
“We are not Greenpeace”
So he opened the congress on Thursday with one of his sleight of hand. He called for donations for the survivors of the genocide in the congress host country Rwanda. During his speech, he held up a soccer ball made by women in Rwanda and appealed to delegates to buy a copy for US$1,000. “Give whatever you want to give,” said Infantino, “we’ll give the difference.” The ball is a symbol of joy. During the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, Hutu-majority militias murdered members of the Tutsi minority in just 100 days. At least 800,000 people were killed. Hundreds of thousands of people have been victims of sexual violence.
“We are not the Red Cross or Greenpeace,” Infantino said, praising the two organizations. “But we also have a responsibility to help with global challenges.” The Fifa President did not go into the affairs and inconsistencies of his creative period, which were also criticized in Germany. In Switzerland, two special public prosecutors are investigating an opaque judicial affair against Infantino, who rejects all allegations.
On the contrary, the Fifa President referred to his recent invitation to the G20 summit. “We’re proud of it,” Infantino said. “These people would not sit down with a Fifa that they do not trust.” Institutions, and “not just sponsors and television stations” have gained confidence in Fifa.
