The calls for Gianni Infantino's resignation are growing louder with every passing day. The expanded World Cup, the relentless commercialisation of football, the overcrowded calendar, the political controversies, his sinfully closeness to Donald trump and FIFA's increasingly corporate identity have all fuelled criticism of the organisation's president. With another FIFA presidential election approaching next year, many dream of a serious challenger emerging to restore what they believe football has lost.
Dreams, however, have an unfortunate habit of colliding with reality. The uncomfortable truth is that FIFA is not a charity, nor is it a cultural institution preserving football's soul. It is one of the world's most powerful sporting businesses. Its primary currency is not romance but revenue. Every decision, every tournament, every sponsorship deal and every expansion is ultimately measured by one number: how much money it generates.
By that standard, Infantino has been extraordinarily successful. Love him or loathe him, the Swiss administrator has transformed FIFA into an even greater financial powerhouse than it already was. Television rights have expanded. Sponsorships continue to pour in. The World Cup has become bigger, longer and more commercially valuable. New competitions have opened fresh markets. Football has reached audiences and investors who barely featured in FIFA's calculations only two decades ago.
Critics argue that the game's traditions have been sacrificed along the way. They are not entirely wrong. The football calendar resembles an endurance test. Players speak openly about exhaustion. Domestic leagues compete with ever-growing international commitments. Historic competitions risk becoming secondary attractions in an endless carousel of tournaments designed to maximise global broadcasting income. Supporters increasingly feel like consumers rather than custodians of a sport built on local passion.
Yet these complaints rarely threaten Infantino where it truly matters. FIFA's electorate is not made up of television pundits, former players or angry supporters on social media. It consists of national football associations, many of which have benefited enormously from FIFA's financial redistribution programmes. Development grants, infrastructure funding and expanded tournament opportunities create loyalty that often outweighs philosophical objections about football's direction.
Money may not buy affection, but it certainly buys stability. That is why the search for an opponent begins with an impossible question. Who would actually campaign against a president who keeps making the organisation richer? Any challenger would have to persuade member associations that less commercial expansion somehow represents a better future. That is a difficult sales pitch when many federations are receiving more financial support than ever before.
Even the scandals surrounding FIFA's image have gradually lost their political sting. Football has become accustomed to controversy. Human rights debates, questionable partnerships, controversial hosts and governance criticisms create headlines, yet the tournaments continue to attract billions of viewers. Sponsors complain selectively. Broadcasters remain committed. Fans ultimately watch.
The machine keeps moving because the product remains irresistible. Infantino's greatest achievement may not be increasing FIFA's income but convincing the organisation that constant expansion is synonymous with progress. Bigger tournaments, more participants, more matches and more commercial opportunities have become the default solution to every strategic question. Whether that is healthy for football is another matter entirely.
History may judge this era harshly for stretching the game beyond its natural limits. Future generations may conclude that football became too global, too commercial and too detached from the communities that created it.
But history does not cast FIFA presidential votes. As long as Gianni Infantino continues delivering what FIFA values above everything else, growth, influence and extraordinary financial returns, his critics may dominate opinion columns but they are unlikely to dominate the ballot box. In modern football, success is increasingly measured in billions rather than ideals, and that makes the president's chair remarkably secure.
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