Infantino: World Cup marketing is an opportunity, not an obligation

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the plan to commercialise the World Cup is an opportunity, not an obligation, echoing his belief that profit should serve the sport. He also recalled that his own school years were marked by bullying because of his red hair, freckles and Italian background, a personal story he frequently cites to illustrate discrimination.

Gianni Infantino was born in 1970 in Brig, Switzerland. He is the son of Italian immigrants and has said he felt like a foreigner in his own country.

His red hair, freckles and limited German made him a target of school teasing. On 18 November 2022 he said he was ridiculed because he was red‑haired, had freckles, was Italian and spoke poor German.

Infantino grew up in a modest family in the Valais canton. His father worked on night trains and sleeping cars while his mother ran a press kiosk at a railway station.

He has used that railway upbringing to craft a narrative of social ascent from a simple background to the top of world football. The Italian victory in the 1982 World Cup, he says, deepened his emotional connection to the game and heightened his sensitivity to discrimination.

On the eve of the Qatar World Cup, Infantino delivered a one‑hour speech declaring, “Today I feel Cathar, Arab, African, gay, disabled, migrant worker.” The remarks ignited international controversy and drew sharp criticism.

He denounced what he called Western hypocrisy and condemned articles that described Asian supporters as “fake fans,” labeling them pure racism. Infantino argued that such narratives betray the inclusive spirit football should uphold.

Infantino claimed FIFA is one of the few organisations that has cared about labour conditions in Qatar and lamented that “no one recognises the progress” for migrant workers. He also asserted that Qatari authorities have guaranteed that everyone will be welcome, despite homosexuality being illegal in the country.

He reiterated that his childhood bullying enables him to understand others’ pain, insisting that his experience of being red‑haired gives him empathy for broader discrimination. Infantino defended his comparison, saying “I was red‑haired and suffered,” to underline his belief that personal hardship informs his leadership.