Published on
17/06/2026 - 9:33 GMT+2
As the 2026 World Cup gets underway, FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces an unprecedented ethics backlash over his open alignment with the White House, a high-profile visa scandal blocking Africa’s top referee, and vital hydration breaks being turned into TV advertisement slots.
Born in 1970 to modest Italian immigrants in the quiet Swiss town of Brig, Infantino grew up far from luxury. His mother ran a railway station newsstand, while his father worked on sleeping cars.
A multilingual lawyer by training, he quietly climbed the ranks at UEFA to become the trusted right-hand man to French football legend Michel Platini.
