A Strange Encounter With Gianni Infantino

At the Switzerland vs. Algeria game in Vancouver, I found myself sitting just a few feet away from the FIFA President. So I asked him a question...and I noticed some things.

Gianni Infantino is one of the most despised people on the planet — or at least that’s how it feels in the circles that I run in.

The FIFA president is, in many people’s eyes, a cartoonishly corrupt individual, overseeing an organization that exploits the world’s passion for soccer for the sake of personal gain. Following the blueprint of his predecessor, Sepp Blatter, Infantino has retained his grip on power by doling out millions of dollars to small soccer federations around the world (they have the same voting power as larger federations), with the money earmarked for “soccer development,” but with few to no strings attached. Every year, those federations get a bigger check. And every year, Infantino stays in power.

The Italian-Swiss administrator has also gone out of his way to endear himself to U.S. President Donald Trump, even going so far as to invent a “FIFA Peace Prize,” which he then gave to Trump, who is famously aggrieved over not having received the Nobel Peace Prize. FIFA even appeared to cave to Trump’s demand that U.S. forward Folarin Balogun be allowed to play in the U.S.’s Round of 16 matchup with Belgium, following his suspension for a questionable red card foul against Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemović — an administrative move that was virtually unprecedented in World Cup history, and that further inflamed allegations of double standards and corruption.

All of this made what I saw in Canada last week feel a bit…jarring.

At the Switzerland vs. Algeria game in Vancouver, I was seated near midfield, just below the press box. A few minutes before kickoff, I sensed a commotion behind me, looked over my shoulder, and saw Infantino taking a seat almost directly behind me, alongside the President of the Swiss Federation, Guy Parmelin (who wore a red hat that said, “Switzerland: Great Since 1291”).

As more and more fans began noticing Infantino, they turned to start filming him with their phones. I half expected them to start booing him, or giving him a thumbs down — similar to the way NFL fans boo the commissioner. What other response could there be for someone who is the face of a notably corrupt organization, and that set astronomically high World Cup ticket prices?

Instead, there were widespread thumbs up from fans. Then, an autograph line started to form, with dozens and dozens of fans scrambling toward the press box to request a signature (and a selfie) from the FIFA president. Infantino patiently and gladly obliged right up until the moment the game kicked off, and then got back to work at halftime and after the game concluded.

What I found fascinating wasn’t the fact that people wanted Infantino’s autograph (though the fact that one guy asked Infantino to sign the back of his cell phone was a bit bizarre). Most fans just seemed star struck, and wanted to document their encounter with a famous person.

What was remarkable was the way that Infantino seemed to revel in the attention. This wasn’t just a politician begrudgingly shaking hands and kissing babies as part of his job. This was a man who clearly seemed to cherish the attention. He gladly took phone after phone from people’s hands, sometimes to the surprise of the phone owner, and snapped the selfies himself. When security guards eventually arrived to shoo people away, Infantino brushed them aside so that a few more kids could get a signature and a selfie with him.

All of this made me wonder how Infantino believes he is perceived. If what you see when you go out in public is fans giving you the thumbs up and asking for an autograph, would you think you’re doing a great job? Would you think the public supports what you’re doing? Would you think that accountability questions from journalists are out of touch with what real people — the people who read what those journalists are writing — are feeling?

And would all of that adoration, especially if it’s something you crave, make you want to stay in power that much more?