Gianni Infantino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gianni Infantino
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Infantino in 2024
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| 9th President of FIFA | |
| Assumed office 26 February 2016 |
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| Vice President | Ángel María Villar David Chung Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa |
| Preceded by | Issa Hayatou (acting) Sepp Blatter |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino
23 March 1970 Brig, Valais, Switzerland |
| Spouse | Leena Al Ashqar |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Fribourg |
| Awards |  Order of Friendship Star of Service |
| Signature |  |
Gianni Infantino (born 23 March 1970) is a Swiss-Italian football leader. He has been the president of FIFA since February 2016. FIFA is the international organization that governs football, futsal, and beach soccer. Infantino was re-elected as president in 2019 and again in 2023. In 2020, he also became a member of the International Olympic Committee.
As FIFA President, he helped organize the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He described both tournaments as "the best World Cup ever." He also played a big part in choosing Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Under his leadership, FIFA started adding his name to the FIFA Club World Cup trophy.
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Early Life and Education
Gianni Infantino was born on March 23, 1970, in Brig, Switzerland. His parents were Italian immigrants from Calabria and Lombardy. Because of his parents, he has citizenship in both Switzerland and Italy.
He studied law at the University of Fribourg. Infantino speaks many languages, including French, German, Italian, Arabic, English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Career in Football
Before joining FIFA, Infantino worked at the International Center for Sports Studies (CIES). This center is part of the University of Neuchâtel.
Working at UEFA
Infantino started working for UEFA in August 2000. UEFA is the organization that governs football in Europe. In 2004, he became the Director of UEFA's Legal Affairs. He later became the Deputy General Secretary in 2007 and then the Secretary General in 2009.
During his time at UEFA, he helped introduce "Financial Fair Play" rules. These rules help make sure football clubs manage their money responsibly. He also helped expand the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament to include 24 teams. He was also involved in creating the UEFA Nations League and planning the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.
In 2015, the Greek government wanted to change some sports laws. Infantino helped lead talks with the government. He supported the Greek Football Federation, which warned that Greece could be suspended from international football if the government interfered too much.
Leading FIFA
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Infantino was part of FIFA's Reform Committee. In October 2015, UEFA supported him to run for FIFA president. He announced his plan to run and promised to expand the FIFA World Cup to forty teams.
On February 26, 2016, Infantino was elected FIFA President for three years. He was the first Italian to hold this position.
In 2017, Infantino spoke out against a travel ban by the United States. He said that any team and its fans who qualify for a World Cup must be able to enter the host country.
2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia
After the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Infantino received the Order of Friendship medal from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Infantino called the 2018 World Cup the "best World Cup ever."
Women's Rights in Football
In Iran, women were not allowed in stadiums to watch men's football games after 1979. Infantino repeatedly told Iranian football leaders that women should be allowed to attend.
In September 2019, he stated:
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
After this, FIFA promised that Iranian women could attend stadiums starting in October 2019. On October 10, 2019, over 3,500 women watched a World Cup qualifier game in Azadi Stadium.
2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was held in Qatar. There were discussions about the rights of migrant workers who built the stadiums. Some groups said workers faced difficult conditions. Infantino said that migrant workers were given jobs and pay and were proud to help build the stadiums.
He also said that Western countries were being "hypocritical" for criticizing Qatar. He stated that Europeans should apologize for their past actions before giving moral lessons. He also accused Western companies of making money in Qatar without discussing workers' rights.
2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia
On October 31, 2023, Infantino announced that Saudi Arabia would host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. FIFA made rules that limited which countries could bid for the 2034 World Cup. This made it easier for Saudi Arabia to become the host.
Infantino has a good relationship with Saudi leaders. He has often promoted Saudi sports events and has been seen with Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman. He also explored if Greece and Egypt would join Saudi Arabia to bid for the 2030 World Cup.
In October 2023, FIFA announced that the first three games of the 2030 World Cup would be in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. The rest would be in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. This meant only Asian or Oceanian countries could bid for 2034. FIFA also sped up the bidding process, giving countries only 25 days to show interest. Saudi Arabia quickly announced its bid, and the head of Asian football supported it. Infantino also encouraged Asian countries to support Saudi Arabia's bid.
FIFA Club World Cup
In 2024, FIFA decided to engrave Infantino's name on the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup trophy. The trophy also includes words praising him for inspiring "the golden era of club football."
FIFA Investigations
In July 2016, Infantino was interviewed by FIFA's ethics committee. They looked into some issues, including flights he took, hiring decisions, and his contract with FIFA.
The investigation found that no rules were broken regarding his flights or contract. The committee said that hiring matters were internal issues, not ethical ones. So, Infantino was cleared of any wrongdoing by the investigatory chamber.
Later, in July 2020, Infantino was accused of having secret meetings with the Attorney General of Switzerland. The Attorney General later offered to resign. Infantino defended himself, saying that meeting with the Attorney General is "perfectly legitimate and it's perfectly legal."
Personal Life
Gianni Infantino is married to Leena Al Ashqar, and they have four children. Since October 2021, he has spent time in Doha, Qatar, where he rents a house. Two of his children also go to school there.
Some people wondered if he planned to move FIFA's headquarters from Zurich. Infantino said his official home remains in Canton Zurich. He explained that being in Qatar was necessary to organize the World Cup. In November 2022, it was confirmed that he moved his official residency to Zug, Switzerland. Infantino is a fan of the Italian football club Inter Milan.
Images for kids
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Gianni Infantino's signature
See also
In Spanish: Gianni Infantino para niños
