Gianni Infantino has been re-elected as president of FIFA for four more years, after running unopposed at the congress of world football’s ruling body.
The 52-year-old Swiss-Italian lawyer was confirmed in office by acclamation at the gathering until 2027.
Infantino took over from Sepp Blatter in 2016 and was waved in for a third term by acclamation, just as he was four years ago, by delegates from the 211 member federations.
The election was held in Kigali, Rwanda.
While FIFA statutes currently limit a president to a maximum of three four-year terms, Infantino has already prepared the ground to stay until 2031, declaring in December that his first three years at the helm did not count as a full term.
The Swiss has overseen the expansion of the men’s and women’s World Cup and considerable increases in FIFA revenues.
The men’s World Cup will increase from 32 teams to 48 for the next edition in North America in 2026, while the women’s World Cup will feature 32 teams for the first time in Australia and New Zealand later this year.
Infantino has also announced a projected income of $11 billion in the four years up to 2026, compared to $7.5 billion in the last four-year cycle ending in 2022.
Story by George Opoku Boateng – Ahotoronline