Gianni Infantino ensures scandal at the FIFA Congress with a Trump tour

The red carpet was rolled out like for a state guest and Gianni Infantino took him as if nothing was. But his faux pas on the much too late arrival to Paraguay could not cover the FIFA president with charm or with great routine.

In protest against the behavior of Infantinos around the general assembly, the European Council delegates around DFB boss Bernd Neuendorf and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferer left the congress podium in Asunción.

After the coffee break, the officials did not return to the places reserved for them. There were no reactions of the UEFA delegates or from FIFA for the incident for the time being. However, it was confirmed that it was a coordinated campaign.

According to information from the German Press Agency, the European officials protested against the behavior of Infantino, who, after his already massively controversial Middle East trip with US President Donald Trump, had arrived in Asunción too late. The congress therefore started with more than three hours late. Infantino apologized for the delay, but then held the general assembly routinely.

There were “problems” with his plane, Infantino explained his late arrival. But: The fact that he was in the first day on the congress day had previously annoyed many delegates. This should also have been decisive for Ceferin, Neuendorf and Co.

The reason for his approach was obvious for Infantino. In Saudi Arabia and Qatar, he accompanied US President Donald Trump. “As FIFA president, it is my responsibility to make decisions in the interests of the organization,” he said. “I had the feeling that I had to be there to represent the football and all of them,” said Infantino.

Delegates in the Bourbon Asunción Convention Center apparently reacted to the temporal shift before the UEFA boycott. Infantino, on the other hand, was warmly and exuberant by Paraguay’s President Santiago Pena as a friend of the country, although he was not present at the usual banquet the evening before.

After a morning stop in Nigeria, the Learjet coming from Katar was still in the air with Infantino on board when the meeting should have started at 9.30 a.m. First, the countdown on the FIFA homepage had been extended by one hour until the start of the congress, then the watch ticked a total of three hours longer.

In the past few days there had been a lot of vertebrae for the trip from Infantino to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The head of the world had participated in meetings with US President Trump, instead of – as usual – to attend events before the FIFA Congress. Trump and Infantino had recently met several times on the occasion of the preparations for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

“Great Job, Gianni,” Trump had called In the direction of Infantino during a meeting during the trip, as could be heard in a video. Many FIFA delegates in Paraguay were not of this opinion. “It is important that he is present the days when we are present. This is the most important meeting point for us,” said the Norwegian leader of the association Lise Klaveness before the congress.

However, the congress show also went over the stage with a lot of applause. The missing Europeans on stage were not mentioned. Infantino promised all fans a safe and problem -free World Cup in America – nobody has to be concerned about the rigid trump policy.

The World Association announces records financially. $ 13 billion income for the 2023-2026 cycle is a doubling for the previous cycle ($ 6.5 billion/2019-2022). What else did a role played? Europe’s football officials will surely still confront Infantino.