FIFA: Gianni Infantino, one year at the head of world football, on 26/02/2017

The Italo-Swiss Gianni Infantino, who will turn 47 years old on 03/03/2017, has been FIFA president since 26/02/2016. He was elected for three years (2016-2019), after the second round of voting, at the extraordinary congress of the international federation in Zurich (SUI).

Previously, Gianni Infantino was the general secretary of UEFA since October 2009. He had declared his candidacy for the FIFA presidency on 26/10/2015, after the Frenchman Michel Platini, the then UEFA president who had announced his candidacy for the FIFA post on 27/07/2015, was suspended on 08/10/2015.

In one year, the new president of the international federation got the enlargement he had promised of the World Cup: From 2026: it is no longer 32 teams in the final tournament, but now 48. He also implemented the reforms of the statutes, which had been approved on the same day of his election, including an expanded FIFA Council which replaces the old Executive Committee. He also began experiments for the implementation of with video assistance to referees which could, in case of validation, be in force in 2018…