FIFA President Gianni Infantino faces his opponents, on Thursday, for the first time since the scandal that almost brought him down this summer, and he is in a much better position than expected.
The 56-year-old Italian-Swiss-Lebanese will meet in Zurich with the 36 members of the FIFA Council (the executive body of the International Federation) in their first meeting since April 28. During this period, and after the 2026 World Cup, which was full of controversy despite achieving great commercial success, the unexpected happened: Infantino, who seemed firmly established in his position within FIFA for 10 years, and was an extraordinary candidate for re-election on March 18, 2027, was almost pushed out of the narrow door.
Even after he abandoned his secret project to open the door for private investors to enter the World Cup, the continental federations: European (UEFA), North, Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF), and Asian federations came together, demanding his departure. Therefore, the first meeting of the FIFA Council after the crisis during the past two months seemed like a meeting that carried all the risks. He could have allowed Infantino's opponents to corner him by introducing a vote of confidence, a possibility that was abandoned, and to push their own ideas for reform.
On September 18, the presidents of UEFA and CONCACAF, the Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin and the Canadian Victor Montagliani, demanded that FIFA use part of its financial reserves amounting to several billion dollars in order to pay “no less than $10 million” to each of the 211 member national federations.
But what is the benefit of this demand, which is expected to be the main topic of discussion on Thursday, if the rebellious continental federations are still unable to present their own candidate for the presidency of FIFA before the deadline set for November 18?
An insider with international bodies told Agence France-Presse: “Instead of confusing Infantino, Ceferin and Montagliani are offering him on a silver platter an opportunity to boost his re-election.”
Shedding light on a thriving treasury confirms one of the criticisms directed at the official who is still threatened with a complaint from UEFA on charges of “mismanagement.” If FIFA did not need any funding, why did it want to give up part of its future revenues to external investors? However, distributing funds to national federations represents the most important electoral card for Infantino, as was the case with his predecessors, in a system in which each country has one vote and is entitled to the same amount, before any possible additional aid.
Since 2016, according to FIFA documents, the Turks and Caicos Islands (with a population of less than 50,000 people in the Caribbean) have received more than $20 million, exceeding the $17.8 million allocated to China and Brazil. According to a person active in international football: “Of the 211 federations, only about a hundred have professional football, while the European leagues alone provide two-thirds of the World Cup players. Therefore, the vast majority of those with the right to vote live exclusively on FIFA money and have absolutely no desire to change the system.”
Pim Verschueren, a specialist in sports geopolitics at Rennes-2 University, says: “Even with the suspicions of sports manipulation, after the suspension of American striker Folarin Balogun during the World Cup was lifted, Infantino is still firmly rooted. Since 2016, he has been able to build his support network and his own kingdom, which is extremely difficult for any party seeking to reach.
If it is not possible to impose change at the presidential level, Infantino’s opponents can attempt to influence governance; UEFA proposed strengthening the powers of the FIFA Council and opening its membership to “concerned parties,” which may include the European Club Association, which is headed by Qatari Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Thursday's agenda also includes the first edition of the Women's Club World Cup, which the United States is likely to host in early 2028, making it the third consecutive major tournament it will host after the Men's Club World Cup in 2025 and the 2026 World Cup.
Finally, the Council is scheduled to consider the “FIFA Peace Prize,” after the great controversy that accompanied its award for the first time last year to Donald Trump, without its criteria and awarding mechanism having yet been clarified.
The lawyer for one of the sons of Argentine Diego Armando Maradona, a civil party in the trial of the football legend's death in 2020, called for harsher prison sentences than those requested by the Public Prosecution against the main defendants in the medical team.
The session also witnessed mixed evaluations from the lawyers, indicating that responsibility is still unclear despite the passage of 6 months since the trial. One of the lawyers called for the imprisonment of the addiction specialist who treated the Argentine football star for 12 years, while another called for his acquittal.
In the San Isidro Court, north of the capital, Buenos Aires, Mario Baudry, the lawyer of Diego Fernando (13 years old), known as “Dieguito”, Maradona’s youngest son from his wife Veronica Ojeda, demanded that the star’s trusted doctor, Leopoldo Luque, and medical coordinator, Nancy Forlini, be imprisoned for 16 years, and that psychiatrist Agostina Kosachov be imprisoned for 14 years.
All of this results in a ban on practicing their profession for a period of no less than 10 years.
Confronting these three, who are considered the most influential or decision-makers in Maradona's life during his final days, the Public Prosecution on Thursday demanded prison sentences of 12, 10 and 8 years, respectively.
“From the first moment, Loki knew what was going to happen,” Beaudry said. He knew that Maradona would die because of the treatment he was receiving, but he did nothing.” He also demanded that Carlos Dias, a psychologist and addiction treatment specialist, be imprisoned for 12 years, while the Public Prosecution demanded that he be imprisoned for only five years.
Boudry also requested, in the event of conviction, the immediate imprisonment of the four defendants, which the Public Prosecution did not request, in order to avoid the risk of them escaping justice.
As the prosecution did, it demanded that nursing coordinator Mariano Perrone and nurse Ricardo Almiron be imprisoned for four years, while demanding the acquittal of Pedro de Spagna, an outside doctor who saw Maradona only once during the two-week period of his recovery that claimed his life. Beaudry, Veronica Ojeda's current partner, opened the closing arguments for the civil parties, then the defense, which will continue until the end of October, which is the seventh month of the trial related to the death of “Deis” (No. 10).
Seven health care workers are being tried on charges of medical negligence that may have led to death during Maradona's treatment at home after undergoing head surgery.
After Boudry, Felix Linfante, the lawyer of Jana (30 years old), Maradona’s daughter who was recognized in 2014, spoke, accusing Dr. Luque, whom he considered guilty of “dereliction of his duty towards him.”
The prosecutor insisted: “Loki did not go to see the patient, but only asked him if he was still alive. He knew everything was going wrong, yet he decided to give it up. “He accepted Maradona’s death,” demanding that he be imprisoned for 12 years.
In his closing argument on Thursday, the public prosecutor denounced the “organizational chaos” of the medical team, which led to the 1986 World Cup star in Mexico being left in a “state of neglect” and “to his fate,” despite the presence of warning signs, such as heart failure, edema, dropsy, and others. Linfante also stressed, citing the testimony of an expert in the trial, Tuesday, on Nancy Forlini’s responsibility, saying: “One can also be killed by negligence.” He stressed that if “accurate daily examinations had been conducted, all symptoms would have been discovered,” calling for her to be imprisoned for 10 years.
Despite this, he demanded the acquittal of psychiatrist Diaz, who, despite his “volatile behavior,” had “little decision-making powers” within the medical team.
Maradona died at the age of 60 after a cardiorespiratory attack accompanied by pulmonary edema. He was found dead on November 25, 2020, in his bed in a house he rented for his convalescence.
After closing arguments, sentencing is expected to be postponed to a later date.
Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), faces an upcoming accountability session before members of the Federation Council, on Thursday, regarding accusations of not properly disclosing an additional amount amounting to 1.3 million pounds sterling (about 1.76 million dollars), which he obtained from one of the companies affiliated with “FIFA”, outside of his announced annual compensation package, in the latest chapter of pressure besieging the president of the international football institution before the presidential elections scheduled for March 2027.
According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, members of the FIFA Council pledged to ask Infantino strict questions about what has become known as the “second salary,” after records submitted to the US IRS showed that he received $1.76 million. The equivalent of 1.3 million pounds sterling, from a company affiliated with the International Federation that was responsible for organizing the last edition of the World Cup, without this amount appearing in the Federation’s annual report.
FIFA had announced that Infantino’s total compensation for 2024 amounted to 4.27 million Swiss francs. That is, about 3.88 million pounds sterling, which raised questions about the nature of the additional amount, and whether it should be included in the financial disclosures related to the remuneration of the President of the International Federation.
FIFA regulations stipulate the necessity of announcing the individual compensation received by the federation’s president, which is the text relied upon by those demanding to clarify the nature of the financial payment, and the extent to which the method of disclosing it is compatible with regulatory requirements.
Thursday's meeting, which includes Infantino and 36 other members of the FIFA Council, is expected to witness discussions that go beyond the issue of additional funds, after time was allocated to review a series of controversial files that surrounded the president of the federation during the last year.
At the forefront of the figures expected to raise questions during the meeting is Debbie Hewitt, President of the English Football Association and Vice President of FIFA, who had previously sent a letter to Infantino asking him to disclose all documents and files related to the project to sell a share of the business and the rights to organize the World Cup, which was later abandoned.
Hewitt also requested the submission of documents related to the decision to suspend the suspension imposed on Folarin Balogun, the US national team striker, an issue that, in turn, raised questions about the decision-making mechanisms within the International Federation.
The Council's agenda also includes an item dedicated to discussing the FIFA Peace Prize, which sparked widespread controversy after Infantino awarded its first edition to US President Donald Trump last December, with a decision he took alone.
The FIFA President may find himself facing embarrassing questions about the award, especially since he has not yet submitted a nomination to the Federation Council to win this year’s edition, despite it being presented as an annual award.
Trump had described receiving the first FIFA Peace Prize as one of the greatest honors he had received in his life.
Sources within the International Federation Council revealed that the issue of additional salary, which was raised by the British newspaper “The Times” for the first time on Monday, has become one of the issues certain to be raised during the meeting.
In the face of these accusations, FIFA issued a statement on Tuesday in which it categorically denied committing any financial violations or failing to disclose the required information.
The International Federation confirmed that it does not pay a second salary to its president, and that it adheres to all reporting and disclosure requirements related to financial compensation.
He explained that the annual compensation that Infantino receives, in addition to other contractual benefits, is determined by an independent subcommittee specialized in compensation, and not by the president of the federation himself.
FIFA stressed its strong rejection of allegations related to concealing financial information or violating its statute, stressing that its accounts are subject to independent audit, and that all disclosures comply with the tax systems in force in Switzerland, the United States, and other countries.
He added that his focus is on the Federation Council meeting, on Thursday, and discussing ways to develop international football, following what he described as the most successful World Cup in history.
The issue of the additional amount coincided with the revelation of new details regarding a commercial agreement concluded by FIFA to rent an office inside Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City.
The New York Times revealed that Infantino was behind the choice of the location, where the International Federation rented an office on the seventeenth floor, under a contract lasting more than 7 years, and worth about 4 million dollars.
The agreement raised additional questions after it became clear that the office remained empty many times, despite the large financial value of the lease.
This issue adds a new dimension to the relationship between Infantino and Trump, especially in light of the previous controversy over awarding the US President the FIFA Peace Prize, and the accompanying criticism of the method of decision-making within the international institution.
Despite mounting pressure, Infantino is heading towards running in the upcoming FIFA presidential elections without a competitor so far, after no official candidate has come forward to face him.
Michelle Kang, owner of the London City Lionesses Women's Club, stands out among the potential names that were considered for candidacy, among a list of figures that were proposed as alternatives to the current president of the federation.
The deadline for submitting nominations ends on November 18, while the regulations require that any candidate obtain the recommendation of at least five national federations to enter the presidential race.
As Infantino approaches a possible new presidential term, Thursday's meeting puts the FIFA Council before a test related to its ability to hold its president accountable regarding financial disclosures and controversial administrative decisions, at a time when the international organization confirms the soundness of its procedures and its full commitment to the regulations governing its work.
