Swiss-Italian Gianni Infantino was re-elected until 2027 as president of Fifa, which he has held since 2016, without competition and by acclamation at the body’s 73rd Congress in Kigali on Thursday.

The 52-year-old, who was re-elected by delegates from the 211 member federations in 2019, could remain at the helm of world football until 2031 as his first three-year tenure is considered incomplete.

Gianni Infantino has been elected FIFA President for the 2023-2027 term of office by acclamation.#FIFACongress pic.twitter.com/akzQV0IMNO

— FIFA (@FIFAcom) March 16, 2023

“I love you all,” the world football boss reacted to the standing-room-only crowd, with the voting system failing to count the dissenting votes.

He has a solid financial record, with an 18% increase in income and a 45% increase in reserves over the 2019-22 cycle compared to the previous one, which has allowed Fifa to further increase its subsidies to confederations and federations.

In terms of governance, his last mandate was marked by a vast reform of transfers, the introduction of maternity leave for professional women players, and more protective rules of disciplinary procedure for victims of sexual violence.

The main projects for the next few years have already been approved, starting with the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams from the 2026 edition, shared between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

By opting for a group stage with twelve groups of four teams, the tournament will jump from 64 to 104 matches, a huge event designed to boost ticket sales and attract more broadcasters.

Read Also: 2030 World Cup Bid: Motsepe wishes Morocco the best

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The presidents of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Gianni Infantino and Patrice Motsepe, will be in Rabat this Friday to attend the draw for the Club World Cup Morocco 2023.

This Friday, january 13, the Mohammed VI Football complex will be the scene of the draw for the Club World Cup that will be hosted by the Kingdom from 1 to 11 February.

According to a source within the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), and Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will both be present at the ceremony, which begins at 12:00 (Moroccan time).

Al Ahly (Egypt), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Auckland City (New Zealand), Flamengo (Brazil), Real Madrid (Spain), Seattle Sounders (United States), and Wydad of Casablanca are the teams that have qualified for this important event, which follows the World Cup in Qatar.

On February 1, the first round of the Mondialito will begin with a match between Auckland City and Al Ahly of Cairo. The winner advances to the second round, which will feature Wydad, Al Hilal, and Seattle Sounders. The Reds’ opponent in this round will be determined by the draw.

Real Madrid and Flamengo, meanwhile, won’t participate in the competition until the semifinals. And between the two winners of the second round, their respective opponents will be determined by the draw.

This competition is being held in Morocco for the third time. Raja Casablanca made it to the championship game in 2013 (lost against Bayern 2-0). The Maghreb of Tetouan, who was the Kingdom’s representative in 2014, was eliminated in the first round by Auckland City (0-0, 3 tab 4).

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Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, stated on Saturday that he identified as “Arab,” “gay,” and a “migrant worker,” harshly denouncing the “moral teachings” of those who oppose Qatar, which he called “hypocrisy,” only days before the World Cup-2022 began.

The Italian-Swiss leader emphasized his Italian ancestry during a news conference to help him feel connected to the immigrants who came to Doha to work.

He said this opening anaphora: “Today I feel Qatari, today I feel Arab, today I feel African, today I feel gay, today I feel disabled, today I feel migrant worker.”

I am the son of migrant workers, so it brings back memories for me, he remarked. “I understand what it’s like to face harassment and discrimination for being a foreigner. I experienced discrimination as a youngster (in Switzerland) because I was red, had freckles, was Italian, and had poor German.

In response to the numerous accusations leveled at Fifa over the working conditions of World Cup construction workers, Gianni Infantino stated that the international federation was one of the few to be concerned about their fate.

“How many of Qatar’s multibillion-dollar corporations have resolved the question of migrant employees’ fate?” Because a change in legislation equals less profit, none. But we accomplished it,” he continued, before wondering, “Why isn’t this progress recognized?”

NGOs frequently criticize Qatar for its treatment of migrant workers, notably those in construction, security, and domestic labor, as well as LGBTQ+ people.

These allegations are vigorously refuted by the authorities, who point out that they have reformed their labor laws, as well as by the Qatari organizers of the Mondial, who assure that members of the LGBTQ+ community will be welcomed without discrimination, despite laws in the country criminalizing sexual relations between people of the same sex.

“These prejudiced moral teachings are pure dishonesty,” stated Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA since 2016 and the sole candidate for his successor in 2023.

“We should apologize for the next 3,000 years for what we Europeans have done for the last 3,000 years before we start lecturing people,” he continued.

Concerning LGBTQ+ rights, the leader stated that Qatari officials had informed him that “everyone” would be “welcome” during the event (November 20-December 18).

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his gratitude to HM King Mohammed VI yesterday, Thursday, February 25th, for his continuous support for the development of football in and outside of Morocco.

In a statement issued by FIFA following the visit, Infantino said, “I would like to thank King Mohammed VI for his interest and passion for football, and also for his support and ambition to continue developing football in Morocco.”

He stressed that had it not been for the support provided by King Mohammed VI, along with the government and all members of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, “the development of this sport would not have become possible”, highlighting that his visit to the Kingdom was an opportunity to hold a discussion and define projects that will keep pace with the development of Moroccan, as well as African and cross-country football.

Infantino said he was pleased to visit Morocco, a country “where football is very popular”, adding, “I have visited Morocco several times and have personally examined its passion for football, as well as the seriousness shown by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation in its work.”

The FIFA president also praised the initiatives of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and all those who encourage the practice of women’s football, welcoming the launch of a four-year development plan, “an initiative capable of improving the level of women’s football.”

On a finale note, Infantino stated, “I am thinking of a new strategy for developing women’s football that the Royal Moroccan Football Federation unveiled last summer; there are many opportunities to seize and I can’t wait to see Morocco qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals”, expressing FIFA’s readiness to help the Federation in order to keep pace with the development of women’s football all over Morocco, so that a number of women and girls can enjoy playing their favorite sport.

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