Gianni Infantino (Switzerland, 1970) appeared in the newspapers a few days after he was born. And his parents were by no means famous. Originally from Calabria (Italy), they emigrated to the Swiss country for a better future. He worked on a railway line and she had a newsstand. And Gianni was born on March 23 with a health problem that required an urgent blood transfusion. His blood type was uncommon (RH null), so only a few dozen people in the world could help him. The hospital obtained the willingness of an Englishman and a Yugoslav woman, Milica Mucalica, whom Infantino, 46 years later, located to thank her for the vital gesture. That extraordinary chapter combines two of the qualities that have led him to preside over FIFA: coincidences and his cosmopolitan nature. The others are boldness and his obsession with growing the business.
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“He is not a person who has hobbies. His dedication has always been football. Notice that he is surrounded by players,” explains one of the executives who knows him best. “He works 24 hours, he is enthusiastic, he has people skills,” he adds.
Indeed, Infantino tried to be a player after a difficult childhood (he revealed that he was marginalized for being red-haired, having freckles, and not speaking the language well), but he did not get beyond the fifth Swiss division, so the branch he took was management and sports politics. He holds a law degree from the University of Fribourg, and speaks Italian (he is a follower of Inter Milan and his main newspaper is La Gazzetta dello Sport), German, French, English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arabic.
He polished his Spanish, for example, when he interned at the Professional Football League (LFP) under the presidency of Antonio Baró. It was in the late 1990s. By then, he was already president of CIES, an organization that held football conferences around the world. Knowing Spain opened the doors of UEFA for him in 2000. And in 2001 he married another key person in his life, the Lebanese with Russian reminiscences Leena Al Ashqar, who was the secretary of her country’s federation. “She is a very intelligent person,” they add.
He is one of those who quickly wins people over, he always has a smile”
The combination of branches in Infantino’s life could not be greater. “He is a very empathetic guy. One of those who quickly wins people over. He always has a smile. He is approachable and behaves in an approachable way. At first, you don’t notice that he acts, but that he likes people and crowds. And close distances. He is well-liked,” explains another executive who, from 2016 to 2024, had to deal with matters in the upper echelons of sports.
Within UEFA, and as an “excellent jurist,” Infantino gradually grew until in 2009 he became secretary general. His face was already known for appearing in the Champions League draws, but he wanted more. “When the FIFA scandal with Joseph Blatter that dragged Platini happened, he saw the opportunity to run. And he won by a wide majority,” they recall. “He has a lot of emotional intelligence,” they add. And they illustrate it with an example. “Many would not have endured a World Cup with Trump. They said it would be sold out, but I think he has gotten away with it. We will see how the International Olympic Committee handles it at the Games. He contained Iran, maintains good relations with Russia, and knows how to embrace Qatar (where he lives with his family) and Saudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 World Cup,” he replies. “He is clear about the business and which path to take. If you don’t cross any red lines or clash with any of his objectives, he will say yes to you with a smile,” he adds.
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Infantino is the father of the Club World Cup, of the idea to expand the World Cup to 48 teams, of proposing to hold it every two years, and now of privatizing part of the revenues. This last point, combined with his slick dealings with Trump, has further damaged his image and has taken a toll on the support from organizations like UEFA. “When he was there, there were too many roosters in the same henhouse,” adds the executive. “There is jealousy, fights over the business, that’s why everyone marks their territory. UEFA has its great product, the Champions League.” Curiously, Europe has been falling behind and losing weight in FIFA’s major decisions.
Infantino also generates buzz for his full-throttle lifestyle, always connected, with trips around the world, like now to Morocco. “The World Cup will be the best because it is held in the most beautiful country, Morocco,” he said hours after 50,000 citizens jumped the Ceuta fence to flee and come to Spain. “He has made FIFA bigger, but they say he has also made himself bigger. You only have to see who he rubs shoulders with, Trump, Putin, the Qataris… He keeps friendships.”
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Like any leader, “there is an ego behind,” and this is also noticeable in Infantino. “He likes popularity. Being the center, being looked at, greeted… And he always responds to you with attention, with a smile. He is very good at that.”
Now, Infantino has backtracked on his proposal to privatize part of the World Cup amid rejection from Europe, Asia, and North America. Public opinion considers that this move, involving Trump’s son-in-law, could cost him dearly in the 2027 reelection. Those who know him understand that “he knows it all” and that his guarantee is that each federation has more resources. Even Trump promotes him as UN president.
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