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Infantino was first unexpectedly elected in February 2016 after the Sepp Blatter scandal and was re-elected unopposed in 2019. Now, he is poised to remain in charge of FIFA until at least 2027.
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, is set to secure his third term in office during the 73rd FIFA Congress held in Kigali, Rwanda on Thursday.
The only choices available for the delegates from the 211 Member Associations are either to re-elect Infantino by acclamation or symbolically disapprove.
Infantino was first unexpectedly elected in February 2016 after the Sepp Blatter scandal and was re-elected unopposed in 2019. Now, he is poised to remain in charge of FIFA until at least 2027.
While the current statutes limit the presidency to a maximum of three four-year terms, Infantino has already prepared the groundwork to extend his term until 2031, arguing that his first three years at the helm did not count as a full term.
Infantino's term as FIFA President has not been without controversy, especially during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the host’s treatment of migrant workers and human rights record came under scrutiny.
However, the Swiss administrator in defence accused Western critics of the decision to award the tournament to the Gulf state of "hypocrisy" and "double standards."
Following his re-election, Infantino is expected to reveal his grand plan for football over the next four years which has already seen plans to expand the 2026 FIFA World Cup to 48 teams as well as a 32-team 2025 Club World Cup already approved by the FIFA Council.
The upcoming Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will feature 32 teams, up from 24 at the previous edition, fulfilling Infantino's promise to make those tournaments bigger.
Infantino's expansion plans have proven to be lucrative for FIFA, with projected income of $11 billion up to 2026, compared to $7.5 billion in the cycle ending in 2022.
Infantino's desire to make football "truly global" has led to the distribution of funds evenly to the likes of Trinidad and Tobago and Papua New Guinea, just as Brazil receives.
This ensures that smaller countries have an equal say in the congress as larger, more powerful nations.
Infantino has been able to keep the support of the 35 Central American nations, including several Caribbean islands, and the 54 African federations, meaning that he has not had to worry about upsetting the powerful European nations.
Infantino has also delivered on promises to make football transfer systems more transparent and fair, introducing a license for agents and a cap on agents' commissions.
He has also made moves to bring in mandatory maternity leave for pregnant footballers and toughen the rules on disciplinary proceedings for cases of sexual assault.
Infantino can also point to healthy financial results, with FIFA revenues increasing 18 percent in the last four-year cycle, and reserves up 45 percent.
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