GIANNI Infantino has been re-elected as FIFA president following the football governing body’s 73rd Congress in Kigali, Rwanda today.
The 52-year-old Swiss man, who was unopposed, will serve a second term of four years as the leader of the global football body. He was first elected into office in 2016 and re-elected in 2019.
Speaking immediately after the re-election to serve from 2023 to 2027, Infantino said: “Being FIFA President is an incredible honour, an incredible privilege, and it is also a great responsibility.
“I am truly humbled and touched by your support, and I promise you that I will continue serving FIFA, serving football all over the world and serving all 211 FIFA member associations.”
This is the first time in its history that an elective FIFA Congress took place in Africa, and the proceedings were opened by Paul Kagame, the President of the Republic of Rwanda.
In his address, President Kagame welcomed delegates from the 208 gathered member associations to his country, and congratulated President Infantino on his re-election.
The FIFA President stressed the body’s role to organise competitions and to develop football.
Infatino revealed that the 32-team FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand later this year will receive an extensive increase in prize money to over $150 million – more than three times the value from the last tournament in 2019, and ten times more than in 2015.
President Infantino also mentioned impending changes to the FIFA Under-17 World Cups at boys’ and girls’ level, which will see those tournaments played on an annual basis, as well as the launch of the FIFA World Series and the revised 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, with the intention of giving teams from every confederation more opportunities to compete on the global stage.
