Gianni Infantino re-elected as FIFA president for four more years

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After running as an unopposed candidate for the FIFA presidency, Gianni Infantino has been re-elected as president of FIFA and will serve for an additional four years during the 73rd FIFA Congress gathering in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, on Thursday.

This serves as his first re-election after he succeeded his suspended predecessor, Joseph Blatter, in 2016 and took over his remaining term. His win indicates that he can seek another term and run again in 2027 until 2031 in accordance with FIFA statutes.

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Infantino's presidency has not made European countries happy, especially Germany, Norway, and Sweden, and their representatives have stated before that they would not actively back him.

Despite that, the Swiss-Italian lawyer expressed, “Let me simply thank all of you,” adding, “Those who love me, you are many, and the few who hate me, I love you all,” 

For the next FIFA edition in North America in 2026, the men's World Cup will go up from 32 to 48 teams and for the first time, the women’s World Cup will host 32 teams in Australia and New Zealand this year.

Recently, Infantino has made developmental changes to the football world in general. He predicted an expected income of $11 billion in the four years leading up to 2026, as opposed to the $7.5 billion in the last four-year term ending in 2022.

Additionally, after attending late football legend Pele's funeral in January, he requested all countries around the world to name a stadium after the legend. 

“Being FIFA president is a big honor and privilege but also a huge responsibility. You can continue to trust on my commitment", he concluded.