Politicians, private jets and power: inside the life of a Fifa president

Gianni Infantino stepped off a plane in Cali and was met on the runway by Ramon Jesurun, president of the Colombian Football Federation. There were smiles, a photograph, and a swift post on the federation’s Instagram account. The reason for the trip was not a routine football meeting: the Fifa president was there for the inauguration of Colombia’s new head of state, Abelardo de la Espriella. As BBC Sport’s football issues correspondent Dale Johnson sets out, the job has become a political one.

What the Colombia trip tells us

The visit to Cali illustrates the method: the Fifa president travels to where political power sits, not only to where football is played. Jesurun, a long-standing Infantino ally, came out to the runway personally, and his federation published the image within hours. One side gets a public show of loyalty; the other gets international visibility.

None of that is decorative. The Fifa president is elected by 211 member associations, so every handshake with a federation chief carries electoral weight. Access to governments matters just as much, because state guarantees, stadiums and public funding are non-negotiable requirements for staging a World Cup.

A diary that looks like a head of state’s

The role now runs on a diplomatic rhythm: inaugurations, summits, official receptions and back-to-back flights between continents. The framing in the BBC piece — politicians, private jets and power — describes how the post has changed since Infantino was elected in 2016.

There is a rationale behind it. The 2026 World Cup is spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico and expands to 48 teams for the first time. A tournament that size depends on agreements over visas, security, infrastructure and tax, and those are settled with governments rather than coaches.

Why it matters to England

For England, the practical consequence is the format. A 48-team, 104-match tournament stretches the summer and changes the route to the final, which affects squad planning, recovery windows and how a manager rotates through a longer campaign.

The Football Association sits inside this system through Uefa. Decisions taken in Zurich on international windows, revenue distribution and player release rules arrive at Wembley already made — and the FA’s influence depends on alliances rather than votes alone.

Premier League clubs and the calendar squeeze

The Premier League has been among the loudest critics of fixture congestion, alongside player unions who argue that expanded Fifa competitions leave too little recovery time between seasons.

The effect lands on clubs directly. Sides such as Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool release internationals across multiple confederations, get them back later, and start pre-season with shorter preparation. A 32-team Club World Cup on top of an expanded World Cup compresses that window further, and the injury bill tends to arrive in autumn.

Power that is challenged but secure

Infantino retains broad support because Fifa distributes record revenues to its member associations, including the smallest ones. That redistribution, more than any argument about governance, is the foundation of his mandate.

Criticism has not gone away — over transparency, over closeness to political leaders, over an overloaded calendar. So far none of it has threatened his position, and the 2026 World Cup will be the biggest showcase of his time in charge.

FAQ