Gianni Infantino is used to being in the spotlight. He is, in fact, the one who tops the barometer of the most influential French-speaking personalities in the Olympic Movement. Francs JeuxWith a total of 43 points, the FIFA president finished ahead of David Lappartient (40) and Christophe De Kepper (34) on the final podium. The Swiss national was cited three times in first place by the jury, clearly placing him above the rest, as the other figures appearing in first position (Mustapha Berraf, Christophe Dubi, Christophe De Kepper, Michel Vion, and Victor Wembanyama) were each cited only once.
Being president of the international federation that governs the world's most popular sport means having the ear of any leader. Gianni Infantino has demonstrated this in recent months by appearing on numerous occasions with US President Donald Trump, one of the three host countries for the next World Cup. The year 2025 allowed him to further solidify his vision by launching the new format of the Club World Cup, a month-long tournament bringing together 32 teams from five continents. This is an important step towards the 2026 World Cup, the first with 48 teams – another project ardently championed by Gianni Infantino.
Beyond the world of football, the FIFA president was in Greece for the 144th IOC session and the election of Kirsty Coventry in March. He met again with the IOC president in September in New York, to discuss how sport, and football in particular, can continue to play a leading role in transcending borders and providing opportunities for people to come together He praised the remarkable work "that she has accomplished since her election," emphasizing that his ideas align with FIFA's vision and reaffirming his support for him both as a member of the IOC and president of FIFA ».
He was still at the table last week for the 14th Olympic Summit in Lausanne. An opportunity to express his support. to athletes, especially young people, who should always be able to participate in sporting competitions and not be excluded because of the political situation in their country Gianni Infantino is among the 28 most influential people in Europe according to the ranking recently published by Politicoin the midst of heads of state and political figures such as Donald Trump, Friedrich Merz, Vladimir Putin, Nigel Farage, and Ursula von der Leyen. So influential is he that he has just obtained Lebanese citizenship through a presidential decree, for services rendered to the country, while FIFA is about to finance the construction of a stadium with more than 20.000 seats.
The Swiss official is not immune to criticism. The NGO FairSquare has filed a complaint with FIFA's ethics committee, accusing him of a "clear violation of FIFA's duty of neutrality" due to his pro-Trump stances, and Human Rights Watch has denounced the lack of transparency in the process of awarding the new FIFA Peace Prizeattributed to Trump on December 5th. Players' unions, led by FIFPRO, criticized the schedule and FIFA's lack of consideration for athletes. Fans' associations added fuel to the fire in recent days, denouncing the exorbitant ticket prices for the World Cup. Gianni Infantino, however, continues to press on, deaf to these criticisms.
The complete ranking
- 1. Gianni Infantino (43 points)
2. David Lappartient (40 points)
3. Christophe De Kepper (34 points)
4. Christophe Dubi (33 points)
5. Mustapha Berraf (32 points)
6. Victor Wembanyama (31 points)
7. Tony Estanguet (25 points)
8. Thomas Bach (22 points)
8. Nawal El Moutawakel (22 points)
10. Kylian Mbappé (21 points)
11. Valérie Fourneyron (17 points)
12. Michel Vion (17 points)
13. Ingmar de Vos (15 points)
14. Jean-Christophe Rolland (12 points)
14. Ibrahima Wade (12 points)
16. Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye (11 points)
16. Diamil Faye (11 points)
18. Amélie Oudéa-Castéra (10 points)
19. Fouzi Lekjaa (5 points)
19. Edgar Grospiron (5 points)
Jury composition: Alain Mercier, founder of the media Francs Jeux in 2013; Benjamin Carlier, associate director of Olbia Conseil; Jérémy Botton, president of the SSM group; Sophie Lorant, president of France Sport Expertise; Sylvie Le Maux, vice-president of the CNOSF in charge of eSports; Rachel Pretti, senior reporter at L'Équipe; Quentin Ballue, editor-in-chief of Francs Jeux since January 2025.
