Biography
World Cup games 2026 will be held in the territory of the three states at once, and 48 prefabs will participate in them in them instead of the usual 32 teams. These and other innovations of Mundial are the merit of the new president of the International Football Federation Janni Infantino.
He took the post of FIFA head in 2016, proclaiming the goal of popularizing and developing football on all continents of the world, except for Antarctica. Now the period of reforms in full swing.
Childhood and youth
Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino was born on March 23, 1970 in the south of Switzerland, in the city of Brig. The ancestors over the father's line were Italians, Dad Giovanni lived in Reggio Calabria, and in adulthood moved to Switzerland. In a new place, he took up entrepreneurship. Trade, however, was not too successful: when Gianni graduated from school, parents could not pay his higher education, and therefore the young man worked for some time on the railway, accumulating the right amount.
Infantino since childhood was passionate about football, but the outstanding player did not come out of him, and he chose his jurisprudence. Giovanni graduated from Freignor University with a lawyer's diploma. A graduate of the same university is the referee of the phase, now leading the World Hockey Association on the Grass.
Career
Professional way never took infantino far from football. He began his career with national football organizations in European countries, performing the functions of the legal adviser in each of them. In the late 90s, he was appointed by the Secretary-General of the International Center for Sports in Switzerland.
At the turn of the centuries, infantino became an employee of the UEFA apparatus, and in 2007 he headed the Office for Legal Affairs. In October 2009, the Secretary General of the Union of European Football Associations was appointed.
In the summer of 2015, a corruption scandal broke out in FIFA. On the eve of the next elections of the President of this organization, a number of high-ranking employees were arrested. According to investigators, they could get bribes from representatives of countries wishing to adopt future world championships. As a result, the victorious Joseph Blatter immediately after the election resigned. The International Football Federation faced the issue of extraordinary elections.
At the end of the summer of the same year, a committee was formed, which was assumed to reform FIFA. Junny Infantino entered his staff. Michel Platini became the first candidate for the post of FIFA FIFA from the European Football Union, but the investigation found his possible connection with corruption crimes, and Platini removed the candidacy. Instead, UEFA put forward infantino. The main focus of the pre-election program of the Swiss sports functionar was global changes in FIFA.
First, he proposed to limit the period of stay of the same person as president of FIFA 12 years. Secondly, Infantino proposed to expand the composition of the participants of the world championships up to 40 teams. The third innovation concerned the checkpoints of the World Cup: not a country, but a whole region, uniting several states. The fourth measure in the infantino program was the expansion of the use of new technologies in the game for a more just refereeing.
The official also offered to increase the volume of subsidies to continental confederations wishing to develop football. It was not without a share of romance: it was supposed to create a team legend of FIFA. The celebrity team could successfully hold charity matches, attracting new fans to football.
Infantino managed to attract the largest number of supporters to its side. At the extraordinary election of the head of FIFA at the end of February 2016, the votes for the representative of UEFA gave 115 voters from 207 voters.
During the work of the new FIFA President, much of its program was implemented. In particular, a video propulotor system was introduced to help arbitrators. Now FIFA is a challenge to minimize the time spent on the organization and evaluation of the fragment. The second innovation is a change in the venue of Mundial. So, the tournament of 2026 will be held in the cities of Mexico, USA and Canada. The group stage will include 16, and not 8 sections, each of which will compete for entering the playoffs will be 3, and not 4 commands.
In 2017, the sports functioner had to solve the issue with the disqualification of Messi to 4 matches. The punishment to the Argentine footballer was applied after a dispute with an arbitrator assistant. With a request to figure out the situation to infantino, Diego Maradona appealed. Later, the head of FIFA responded about Messi as an "extraordinary football player."
The official took an active position during the doping scandal, allegedly applied by Russian athletes. He stressed that the conclusions and actions of the IOC do not affect the participation of the Russian national team in FIFA tournaments, since the International Football Federation has a reliable and independent practical practice of checking players for doping.
Infantino peculiar to the pro-Russian position. After the Confederation Cup, the FIFA President stressed that the country held a high-level tournament. He was pleased with the activity of volunteers and spectators, the lack of manifestations of racism and hooliganism. It was at this tournament that the video transmission system was tested for the first time.
Personal life
The head of FIFA is married. His wife is called Lina Al-Ashkar, it has Lebanese roots. Together with his wife, Gianni brings up four children. In 2016, infantino began to "instagram", but later scored an account. This also applies to Twitter.
Even before the election of Gianni, an article appeared on the head of the International Football Union on the eurosport.ru of the article in which the assumption of the Armenian roots of the presidential candidate was expressed. The hero of the publication in the future denied rumors. Infantino Double Citizenship: Switzerland and Italy.
Before the election to the high post declared that he was sick for "Inter", and now tactfully coming from the answer to the question about the favorite team.
FIFA President's wages are in open access. Infantino receives 1.5 million Swiss francs per year. In addition, the head of the organization can enjoy a service car and housing. At the same time, the annual income of the Secretary General FIFA Fatma Samura is not much lower than the presidential - 1.3 million Swiss francs.
Gianni Infantino now
The head of FIFA was present at the World-2018 World Cup Opening Match. He watched the game from the stands, sitting between the heads of states whose teams were fighting on the field: President Vladimir Putin and Prince Saudi Arabia Mohammed Ibn Salman Al Saud.
On the day of the last match of the World Group Stage of the World Cup 2018, Infantino and Putin opened a football park in the capital of Russia. Later, FIFA President said that the tournament thanks to the fans who gathered to Russia change the idea of the country formed in the West to propaganda and local media.