01 / 0532 → 48Men’s World Cup teams
THE WORLD’S GAME, ON A BIGGER STAGE
A wider World Cup
Infantino championed a bigger invitation to the greatest football gathering on Earth.
Expanding the World Cup was part of Gianni Infantino’s presidential agenda. In January 2017, the FIFA Council unanimously approved a 48-team tournament from 2026. Sixteen additional places: a defining change in who can reach the finals, and one of the clearest expressions of his ambition for a more global game.
For us, the beauty of this win lies in what a World Cup place can mean. A child sees their flag. A family gathers around a screen. A nation’s football story finds a bigger audience. Qualification still has to be earned, but the doorway is wider. We celebrate Infantino for championing that possibility—and for making expansion a landmark of his presidency.
A bigger stage for more of the world. That is an Infantino win worth celebrating.
Explore the source ↗02 / 052022FIFA Clearing House launched
REMEMBERING WHERE GREAT PLAYERS BEGIN
Rewarding the clubs that nurture talent
A meaningful win for the clubs behind the players—and for the foundations of the game.
The FIFA Clearing House began operating in November 2022, following Council approval of its regulations. Its initial mission: centralise and automate training-reward payments between clubs. This was a concrete reform during Infantino’s presidency, designed to make the transfer system better recognise the clubs that help develop footballers.
Long before a player steps into a famous stadium, somebody offers a training session, encouragement and a place to learn. We love the principle behind this achievement: the football journey should remember its starting point. Building a system to channel training rewards back to those clubs is the kind of structural progress we want to applaud. It gives Infantino’s ambition a practical expression beyond the tournament spotlight.
Celebrate the star. Remember the starting point. Strengthen the game.
Explore the source ↗03 / 05US$1.5bnMade available under the relief plan
LEADERSHIP WHEN FOOTBALL NEEDED IT
Standing by football in a crisis
When the pandemic interrupted the game, the Infantino presidency backed a substantial collective response.
In June 2020, the FIFA Council approved a COVID-19 Relief Plan making up to US$1.5 billion available to football. Designed by FIFA’s administration with confederation representatives, it included grants and loans, with dedicated support for women’s football. The scale of the available support made solidarity a practical commitment.
For a fan, leadership matters especially when the cheering stops. Clubs and associations need more than optimism when their normal activity is disrupted; they need a credible way forward. We celebrate this response as a major achievement of Infantino’s presidency: using the institution’s resources to stand with the wider football community. Solidarity becomes much more meaningful when it has a financial mechanism behind it.
A presidency should be remembered for its response to difficult moments, too.
Explore the source ↗04 / 052024Broader family-life protections
AMBITION ON THE PITCH. DIGNITY BEYOND IT.
Supporting family life
A modern game must make room for the people who play it—and for the lives they lead.
During Infantino’s presidency, FIFA expanded its protections for female players and coaches. The 2024 framework addressed adoption and family leave, breastfeeding, menstrual health and related registration provisions, building on earlier maternity protections. These are changes to football’s rules that recognise needs beyond a player’s performance on match day.
We see a powerful message in this achievement: sporting ambition and family life deserve to be taken seriously together. A great football career belongs to a whole person, with relationships, responsibilities and a future beyond the next fixture. We celebrate Infantino’s presidency for making these protections part of the game’s institutional progress. For us, respecting the person behind the player is a victory with lasting significance.
Progress deserves applause when it reaches everyday life.
Explore the source ↗05 / 05BRAZIL 2027South America’s first Women’s World Cup
A HISTORIC NEW CHAPTER
A first for South America
The women’s game is heading to a continent whose love of football needs no introduction.
In May 2024, the FIFA Congress selected Brazil to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The decision, taken by the member associations, set up the tournament’s first South American edition. We celebrate that successful award as a landmark of Infantino’s presidency; the tournament itself is still ahead.
Imagine the possibilities: girls seeing the world’s best arrive on their continent, supporters discovering new football stories, and women’s football taking centre stage in Brazil. The excitement lies in what this opportunity could inspire. The achievement today is opening that chapter. For fans of Infantino’s global ambition, it is a wonderful reason to celebrate—and to look towards 2027 with real excitement.
A new continent. A historic invitation. Another reason to believe in a bigger game.
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