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Gianni Infantino slammed by Sepp Blatter as past and present FIFA presidents spark corruption discourse
Jul 21 2026 20:49 · By MATIAS WODNER · 27 Reads
Blatter doesn't exactly have much credibility left at this point, but Infantino is under serious scrutiny.
The World Cup is a truly special occasion, but its organizer has long been the subject of controversy. There has been no shortage of debate regarding FIFA's decisions and the way they operate, even stemming all the way back to the first World Cup in 1930.
The topic of corruption within FIFA really hit code red when Sepp Blatter was the president of the organization. After over 15 years at the helm, Blatter had to resign due to the 2015 FIFA Corruption Case, which led to 14 officials linked to FIFA being indicted. The charges involved wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering, with the awarding of the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Russia and the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar of particular intrigue.
Once Blatter was out of the way, Gianni Infantino was elected in his place. Infantino has had to deal with tons of corruption accusations since assuming the role in 2016. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he didn't exactly help his own matter, as he practically let U.S. President Donald Trump persuade him into revoking USMNT forward Folarin Balogun's red card ahead of their Round of 16 match against Belgium.
Sepp Blatter calls for Gianni Infantino to step down as FIFA president
When that decision was made, Blatter actually called out Infantino with a public message, saying that "football must never become a playground for political power". Now, with the World Cup all finished, Blatter has once again publicly criticized Infantino for how this most recent tournament played out.
The longest World Cup has come to an end - with the right champions. But on the way to the final whistle, the tournament had lost its credibility. Politics must not be allowed to overshadow the game. Now it is up to the fans, players and national associations to reclaim football and bring it back to its roots under new leadership.
Blatter is essentially calling for Infantino's continuation as president to not be confirmed. That would theoretically happen during FIFA congress next March. By all accounts, Infantino will continue, as most nations have backed him to this point and through this most recent controversy.