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Friday, 26 June 2026
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Friday, 26 June 2026
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Namibian press · Person

Gianni Infantino

Also known as: FIFA president Gianni Infantino

FIFA president who secured African and Asian backing for 2027 re-election, defended 2026 World Cup ticket prices and Trump peace prize.

2025-12-222026-06-26

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

  1. June 2026
  2. The Namibian

    Gianni Infantino has hyped tournament as the greatest show the planet has ever seen

    Source

    Those questions and more will be answered over the course of a tournament that Gianni Infantino, the president of world football's governing Fifa, has bullishly hyped as "the greatest show that the planet has ever seen."

    World Cup nears kickoff after pre tournament turbulence
  3. May 2026
  4. The Namibian

    Fifa president Gianni Infantino insists pre-tournament unease is overblown

    Source

    International football body Fifa president Gianni Infantino insists the pre-tournament unease is overblown, dismissing the tide of downbeat headlines as "negative press".

    Anxiety, anticipation as Fifa World Cup one-month countdown begins
  5. The Namibian

    Infantino is adamant that Iran will take part in World Cup as planned

    Source

    However, Fifa supremo Infantino is adamant that Iran, who are scheduled to play their three group matches in the United States having seen their proposal that they be moved to Mexico rejected, will take part as planned.

    Anxiety, anticipation as Fifa World Cup one-month countdown begins
  6. The Namibian

    Fifa president Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will participate in the World Cup, with matches occurring in the United States as scheduled

    Source

    Fifa president Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will participate in the World Cup, with matches occurring in the United States as scheduled.

    NFA looks at agreement with Pakistan
  7. The Namibian

    Infantino announced he will run for a fourth term as Fifa president in 2027

    Source

    Infantino announced he will run for a fourth term as Fifa president in 2027.

    NFA looks at agreement with Pakistan
  8. April 2026
  9. The Namibian

    Gianni Infantino received pledges of support from African and Asian regional confederations for re-election

    Source

    Fifa president Gianni Infantino's hopes of securing re-election as the head of world football received a massive boost on Thursday after pledges of support from the African and Asian regional confederations.

    Infantino re election boost after securing Asia, Africa backing
  10. The Namibian

    Infantino faced criticism for close ties to US President Donald Trump

    Source

    Infantino has faced controversy during his reign over his close ties to US President Donald Trump, who was awarded the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize during last year's World Cup draw.

    Infantino re election boost after securing Asia, Africa backing
  11. The Namibian

    Fifa president Gianni Infantino said Fifa is in its most solid financial position ever, enabling it to help all member associations unprecedentedly

    Source

    "Fifa is proud to be in its most solid financial position ever, enabling us to help all our member associations in an unprecedented way," Fifa president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

    World Cup to get cash boost as Fifa unveils red card crackdown
  12. March 2026
  13. The Namibian

    Fifa president Gianni Infantino condemned some Senegal players for unacceptable scenes

    Source

    In the immediate aftermath of the final, Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who attended the match, had condemned "some Senegal players" for the "unacceptable scenes".

    Senegal lodge appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport over Afcon final decision
  14. The Namibian

    Fifa president Gianni Infantino slammed Senegal's walk-off

    Source

    Fifa president Gianni Infantino, however, slammed Senegal's walk-off the day after the final, and the FRMF announced it was pursuing legal action with international football body Fifa and CAF because it "significantly impacted the normal flow of the match and the players' performance".

    How Senegal lost their Afcon title
Sport

FIFA World Cup begins in North America with 48 teams

The News

The FIFA World Cup kicks off Thursday with the first tournament co-hosted by three nations (United States, Canada, and Mexico) featuring a record 48 teams. The opening match pits co-host Mexico against South Africa in Mexico City, while the final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

10 June 2026 · The Namibian

Wednesday 10 June

  1. FIFA World Cup begins in North America with 48 teams

    The FIFA World Cup kicks off Thursday with the first tournament co-hosted by three nations (United States, Canada, and Mexico) featuring a record 48 teams. The opening match pits co-host Mexico against South Africa in Mexico City, while the final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

    10 June 2026 · The Namibian

Sunday 10 May

  1. 2026 World Cup faces ticket prices, political tensions

    The one-month countdown to the 2026 Fifa World Cup begins Monday with a record 48 teams descending on the United States, Canada and Mexico, though soaring ticket prices, political tensions, and conflict in Iran have cast an early shadow over the tournament.

    10 May 2026 · The Namibian

Thursday 7 May

  1. NFA to sign football development agreement with Pakistan

    The Namibia Football Association will soon enter an agreement with the Pakistan Football Federation to build long-term institutional ties and strengthen development pathways in both countries. Preliminary discussions took place at the 76th Fifa Congress in Vancouver, Canada, with formal signing planned during an upcoming Fifa seminar in Miami.

    7 May 2026 · The Namibian

Thursday 30 April

  1. Infantino secures African and Asian backing for 2027 Fifa re-election

    FIFA president Gianni Infantino has received pledges of support from the African and Asian football confederations ahead of his expected candidacy for a fourth term in 2027. The two confederations account for 101 votes out of 211 in FIFA's presidential election.

    30 April 2026 · The Namibian

Wednesday 29 April

  1. FIFA increases World Cup prize money to $871 million

    FIFA boosted total World Cup cash distributions to nearly $900 million (specifically $871 million) from an initial $727 million, citing concerns over rising costs for the 48 teams competing in Mexico, Canada and the United States. The increase includes raising preparation costs per team from $1.5 million to $2.5 million and qualifying payments from $9 million to $10 million per team.

    29 April 2026 · The Namibian

Thursday 26 March

  1. Senegal appeals AFCON title strip to sports arbitration court

    Senegal has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to challenge the Confederation of African Football's decision to strip them of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco after their players protested a penalty decision in the final. CAF had overturned Senegal's 1-0 victory, declaring them to have forfeited the match after they walked off the pitch in protest.

    26 March 2026 · The Namibian

Thursday 19 March

  1. CAF strips Senegal of 2025 Afcon title, awards it to Morocco

    The Confederation of African Football has stripped Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded it to Morocco after reviewing a controversial final where Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest against refereeing decisions. Senegal's Football Federation has condemned the decision as "unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable" and says it will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, a process that may take over a year to resolve.

    19 March 2026 · The Namibian

  2. Senegal vows to appeal after CAF strips Africa Cup title

    The Confederation of African Football stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded it to Morocco, overturning Senegal's 1-0 victory in the final after the Senegalese players briefly walked off in protest over a stoppage-time penalty. The Senegalese Football Federation says it will appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, calling it "unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable."

    19 March 2026 · The Namibian

Tuesday 10 March

  1. FIFA and IOC accused of double standards on war bans

    Four years after expelling Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee have taken a muted stance toward the recent US-led attack on Iran, prompting experts to accuse them of applying inconsistent standards and prioritizing powerful nations over principle.

    10 March 2026 · The Namibian

Thursday 19 February

  1. FIFA chief says all 2026 World Cup matches sold out

    FIFA president Gianni Infantino said all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup will be "sold out," with 508 million ticket requests received for seven million available tickets. Infantino defended ticket prices as market-driven and estimated the tournament would generate over $11 billion in revenue for FIFA and around $30 billion in economic impact for the US.

    19 February 2026 · The Namibian

Tuesday 3 February

  1. Fifa chief defends awarding Trump inaugural peace prize

    Gianni Infantino defended his controversial decision to give US President Donald Trump FIFA's inaugural peace prize at the 2026 World Cup draw in December, dismissing calls for a boycott. Infantino told Sky News that Trump "objectively" deserved the award and rejected suggestions that the World Cup hosting in North America would be boycotted over Trump administration policies.

    3 February 2026 · The Namibian

Tuesday 20 January

  1. Senegal wins chaotic Afcon final; Morocco hosts face scrutiny

    Senegal defeated Morocco in a controversial Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, marked by a disputed penalty award, Senegal players walking off the pitch, and clashes between fans and security that have drawn criticism and threatened future sanctions against Senegal and potential FIFA investigation into Morocco's hosting and VAR inconsistencies.

    20 January 2026 · The Namibian

Gianni Infantino — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute