Context and Importance
World football is living through a moment of institutional tension. Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, is facing criticism from UEFA, the richest and most influential confederation on the planet. Even so, he keeps acting as if nothing had happened.
Infantino's relaxed presence at the U20 World Cup, as reported by ESPN, showed a confident president in full activity. There was no sign of retreat. On the contrary, the Swiss-Italian appears ever closer to securing another term.
For Brazilian fans, this matters. FIFA sets the calendar, the format of the World Cup, the Club World Cup and the distribution of revenue that reaches the CBF and the clubs. Whoever runs the body directly shapes the football we watch.
Infantino has led FIFA since February 2016 and has been reelected twice, in 2019 and 2023, without facing real opposition.
What Happened
According to ESPN, Infantino returned to business as usual after a period of friction with European officials. UEFA, led by Aleksander Ceferin, has shown irritation with FIFA's handling of the calendar, tournament expansion and the president's political posture.
The most visible episode came at the 2025 FIFA Congress in Paraguay. European delegates walked out in protest after Infantino arrived late to the session, coming from a trip to the Middle East. The scene went around the world.
Now, the appearance at the U20 World Cup signals that the president considers the crisis over. He keeps traveling, handing out trophies and building support among confederations outside Europe, which hold the majority of votes at Congress.
Impact on Clubs, National Teams and Competitions
Infantino's continuity means the expansion project stays. The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will feature 48 teams and 104 matches, the largest tournament in history. That model is unlikely to be revisited with him in charge.
The 32-team Club World Cup, played in 2025 in the United States, is also his personal signature. Brazilian clubs such as Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo took part and received multimillion payouts.
For the CBF and Brazilian clubs, the relationship with Infantino's FIFA has been financially rewarding. That helps explain why South America, through CONMEBOL, tends to back the president rather than join the European criticism.
Europe complains, but the FIFA election is decided by the majority of 211 member associations. And that majority sits outside Europe.
Reaction from the Football World
The European press has been harsh on Infantino. Newspapers and broadcasters question his closeness to political leaders, the overloaded calendar and the concentration of power in one man.
Among fans, reactions are split. Part of the public welcomes bigger tournaments and more international games. Another part fears player burnout and the declining relevance of domestic leagues.
In the confederations of Asia, Africa, North America and South America, the tone is different. These blocs gained more World Cup slots and more development funding in recent years, which consolidates the president's political base.
Player unions and European leagues have publicly challenged FIFA's inflated calendar, citing risks to athlete health.
Relevant History
Infantino reached the presidency in February 2016, in the wake of the biggest scandal in FIFA history. Joseph Blatter's regime collapsed after corruption investigations in 2015, and the then UEFA general secretary emerged as the candidate of renewal.
Irony of fate: the man launched by Europe is now the target of Europeans themselves. In 2019 he was reelected in Paris. In 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda, he won unopposed. Support came mostly from the smaller confederations.
A statutory detail works in his favor. FIFA considers his first period, from 2016 to 2019, a completion of Blatter's term rather than a full term. That opens the door to a new candidacy in 2027.
Since 1974, only three men have presided over FIFA: João Havelange, Joseph Blatter and Gianni Infantino. All stayed in power for more than a decade or are on that path.
Numbers and Statistics
The numbers help explain why Infantino feels secure. FIFA has 211 member associations, each with one vote at Congress. UEFA accounts for 55 of them, well under a third of the total.
In previous elections, the Swiss-Italian never needed a runoff. In 2016 he won in the second round of voting. In 2019 and 2023 he was acclaimed with no registered rivals.
Tournament expansion is also measurable. The World Cup jumped from 32 to 48 teams, and the Club World Cup grew from 7 to 32 clubs, all under the current administration.
What Comes Next
The next major test will be the 2026 World Cup. A successful tournament on North American soil further strengthens Infantino's narrative and shrinks the space for any alternative candidacy.
The presidential election is scheduled for the 2027 FIFA Congress. Until then, names such as Victor Montagliani, CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president, are cited by the press as possible alternatives, but none has officially declared.
On UEFA's side, the question is whether to turn criticism into concrete political action. Without a competitive candidate and without alliances with other confederations, the European protest tends to remain just words.
Expert Opinion
In my reading, UEFA lost the battle before it even began. Complaining behind the scenes and walking out of a hall makes headlines, but it does not change votes. Football politics is won through alliances, and Infantino built his outside Europe.
Infantino understood early that power at FIFA is not in Madrid, London or Munich. It is in the 156 associations that do not belong to UEFA. While Europeans talk, he counts votes.
For Brazil, the scenario calls for pragmatism. The CBF has an interest in keeping good relations with FIFA because of slots, revenue and event hosting. At the same time, it must defend Brazilian players suffering from the overloaded calendar.
Football needs checks and balances. A president without real opposition for three straight elections is not a sign of institutional health. The question is not whether anyone will stop Infantino, but whether anyone will even try.
Brazil missed the 2025 U20 World Cup in Chile after falling short in the South American qualifier. That edition's title went to Morocco, Champions for the first time.
