It was early morning when police officers entered the upscale Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich on May 27, 2015. Dozens of officials from the world football association FIFA stay in the hotel. This morning, seven of them are arrested on suspicion of corruption. Police officers lead them outside. Hotel employees try to shield their guests from public view with bed sheets. The pictures still go around the world.
The arrests are the result of years of investigations by US authorities. At this time, the USA was considered the greatest threat to FIFA – corruption, which had long been suspected, was made public by the US authorities in these months.
In the coming years, however, the USA will go from being FIFA’s biggest enemy to one of FIFA’s biggest allies. The upcoming World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico is the highlight of this development. A development that is closely linked to one name: Gianni Infantino.
When the raid took place in Zurich, Gianni Infantino was general secretary of the European football association UEFA. At that time, practically no one believed he could hold a higher office. His boss Michel Platini, on the other hand, is getting ready to take the leap to the top of FIFA.
The Frenchman was one of the best footballers in the world in the 80s. He then used his strategic skills for a career as an official and became UEFA President in 2007. “Platini was Sepp Blatter’s crown prince at the time,” explains investigative journalist Thomas Kistner, who has been researching FIFA for decades.
In the summer of 2015, the time seems ripe for Platini. FIFA President Blatter announces his resignation in the wake of the Zurich arrests. When Platini announced his candidacy, hardly anyone doubted that he would become the new FIFA president – until shortly afterwards a payment of money became public: in 2011, two million euros flowed from Blatter’s FIFA to Michel Platini. The explanation of the two officials: Platini was an advisor to the then newly elected FIFA President Blatter at the end of the 1990s.
But because FIFA was short on cash at the time, Platini initially decided not to claim the entire consultant’s fee. He only did that in 2011. There is no written contract, there was only a handshake.
The Swiss investigators suspect that the two million euros are bribes and are initiating proceedings. The FIFA Ethics Committee then banned both Blatter and Platini. Years later, a court would acquit the two officials. But in 2015, the ban means UEFA suddenly needs a new candidate for the FIFA presidency. It’s Gianni Infantino’s moment.
The UEFA General Secretary goes on a major campaign tour, visiting every continent. A trip from this time only became known years later: on October 6th he flew from Geneva to New York for two days. Officially, to take part in a meeting with a marketing agency on behalf of UEFA. However, the meeting minutes show: The meeting takes place before the flight – online.
The flight is explosive because the US authorities’ investigations into the FIFA complex are converging in New York at this time. “It is obvious that there was some anticipation as to whether the affair could also reach Mr. Infantino,” says investigative journalist Kistner, who, along with his colleagues from the “Süddeutsche Zeitung,” were the first to report on the flight. “It suggests some kind of exploratory exercise between the two parties.”
But what Infantino did in New York these days is unclear. He sticks to his claim that he visited the marketing agency.
One thing is clear: Infantino will receive support from the US association if he is elected. When a new FIFA president was elected in Zurich in February 2016, it was the president of the US association who organized the necessary votes for Infantino after the first round of voting. The Swiss gets the required majority in the second round of voting and is the new FIFA President.
In the first year of his term, Infantino consolidated his power in FIFA. He disempowers independent controllers and fills supervisory commissions with people who are well disposed towards him.
The 2026 World Cup will be awarded in 2018. The USA, Canada and Mexico are opposing Morocco’s application. After losing to Qatar, the USA finally has its World Cup.
The award was made according to new rules. They are intended to ensure more fairness and transparency. Two years later, however, it becomes clear that Infantino has apparently done a lot in the background to ensure that the North American bid wins. It is US President Donald Trump, of all people, who is blurting this out.
At a dinner with business leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Infantino gives the welcoming speech for Donald Trump. In his speech he replied that he was really looking forward to the 2026 World Cup. And then says: “You wanted this World Cup, I wanted this World Cup, we did it together before I even came into office.”
Trump comes into office in January 2017. According to the US President, there were agreements between him and the then newly elected FIFA President long before the award was made. After the ominous flight to New York and the election help from the US association, the next connection between Infantino and the USA.
The relationship between Infantino and Trump does not suffer from the Davos indiscretion. On the contrary. During Trump’s second term, Infantino has been a regular visitor to the White House. Trump sometimes calls him “King of Football”. Infantino is happy about a “great friendship”.
And when Trump complains again in 2025 that he didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize, Infantino has an idea: FIFA could award its own peace prize. That’s exactly what will happen in December 2025 when the football world gathers in Washington for the World Cup group draw. In front of the officials of the more than 40 World Cup participants, Infantino presented the US President with the newly created FIFA Peace Prize.
Shortly afterwards, FIFA, under Infantino’s leadership, became a member of Donald Trump’s “Peace Council”. When making the announcement, Infantino donned a bright red cap with the inscription “USA,” like the one worn by Trump supporters.
There is practically no resistance within FIFA to this mixing of sport and politics. During his time in office, Infantino managed to significantly increase the association’s income. He distributes the money in the form of development aid to the more than 200 national associations that are often dependent on these payments. As long as these funds continue to flow, Infantino’s power base is consolidated. And the World Cup in the USA is estimated to bring in revenue of eleven billion US dollars.
This is also a reason for Infantino’s many flatteries: he needs Donald Trump to ensure that the World Cup runs smoothly. In return, he offers the US President the biggest stage that sport has to offer: It will be Donald Trump who will present the World Cup trophy after the final.