It’s fair to say that FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s reputation has been severely impacted over the course of 2026.
The 56-year-old, who has been FIFA’s top dog since 2016, has raised the eyebrows of many football fans at various times throughout his tenure. However, he’s currently locked in a battle to save his job following his failed attempt to sell stakes in the World Cup.
Infantino’s close relationship with US President Donald Trump has been under particular scrutiny over the past 12 months, culminating in Trump being awarded FIFA’s newly-created Peace Prize at the 2026 World Cup draw in December.
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The astronomical prices being demanded for World Cup tickets – described as a ‘monumental betrayal’ by Football Supporters Europe – added to the long line of growing controversies involving the Swiss-Italian football administrator.
But the tipping point has been the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. A plan so controversial that UEFA’s 55 member associations threatened to boycott future World Cups if it went through.
Infantino was already being described as a “lame-duck FIFA president” following the Folarin Balogun scandal, but his hopes of securing a fourth and final term in charge now hang firmly in the balance.
Amid the fallout, it felt timely to revisit the moment England’s Lucy Bronze appeared to snub Infantino’s handshake after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final against Spain.
