Blatter Criticises Gianni Infantino, Accuses FIFA of Becoming a Dictatorship and a Tool of Trump's Politics
Former FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, has launched a scathing criticism of his successor, Gianni Infantino. Blatter accuses Infantino’s leadership of turning FIFA into a dictatorial institution and being too deeply involved in the political interests of US President Donald Trump.
In an interview with the German media outlet, Bild, Blatter stated that FIFA under Infantino’s control no longer operates democratically. He claims that power is now fully concentrated in the hands of one person.
“What is FIFA today? Everything depends on its president, Infantino. FIFA is a dictatorship. The FIFA Council, which has around 40 members, has no power in decision-making,” Blatter said, quoted by Antara, Thursday (26/2).
Blatter also highlighted Infantino’s closeness to Donald Trump in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup. According to him, the US’s status as one of the host countries has dragged FIFA into a vortex of political image-building.
He explicitly stated that the awarding of a peace prize to Trump by FIFA was merely a superficial formality. Blatter believes that Trump will use the major tournament for his personal publicity interests.
“Trump will orchestrate a publicity show. He has already done so. To do this, he needs his new friend, FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The word ‘ally’ is more appropriate than friend,” he said.
In addition to political matters, Blatter reminded that there are major security challenges in the US. He even compared the social unrest in the United States—such as the incident in Minneapolis—with the controversy surrounding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“I hope that football can overcome politics and the situation will calm down when the competition begins in the United States,” he said.
This criticism comes after Blatter’s long journey was marked by legal storms. For information, in September 2015, Blatter was temporarily suspended following an investigation by the FIFA Ethics Committee, which also involved Michel Platini.
Although he was initially given an eight-year ban from the world of football in December 2015, Blatter’s fate changed in court. In 2025, the Swiss court finally acquitted Blatter and Platini of all charges. (Ant/P-4)
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