Blatter Criticises Infantino - But is He Right?

Blatter Criticises Infantino – But is He Right?

Ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter has recently voiced his disapproval over how Gianni Infantino seems to be running football’s world governing body and is concerned over some of his decisions, believing the sport may not be heading in the right direction.

The 89-year-old Swiss administrator has shown discontent in how Infantino has led FIFA since Blatter’s controversial resignation from the role in 2015. He also accuses FIFA of becoming passive since the Italian took over, and he appears unhappy over his increasingly close relationships to the Gulf States.

These criticisms have come to light as the recent controversial FIFA Club World Cup has had its curtains drawn and it begs the question if there is any credibility behind Blatter’s remarks – especially considering the sour manner he left in.

What did Sepp Blatter Say to Gianni Infantino?

Blatter’s 17-year stint as FIFA President came under scrutiny for many reasons and was plastered by the biggest scandal in football history, after he was charged with fraud and corruption by the Swiss Judiciary, though he was later cleared of any wrongdoing. Then in early 2016, Infantino was elected in Zurich to succeed Blatter.

But in an interview with German broadcaster RTL, Blatter said a number of things of which he is dissatisfied with, including awarding the 2034 World Cup edition to Saudi Arabia, despite when stepping down, believing Infantino’s plans were good for the sport.

He claimed: ”We have lost football to Saudi Arabia. We gave it away and they took it. And, surprisingly, there is no opposition within FIFA. During my presidency, we still had meetings where problems were discussed, and decisions were taken at congress. That no longer happens today.”

Infantino’s friendship with the Middle East is no secret, after having a residence there since 2021 and allowing the 2034 edition of the World Cup to Saudi. Blatter believes that everything that Infantino wants he gets, with him claiming the Italian has “no opposition,” while comparing it with his time at the helm.

The Swiss man also had his say on the expanded Club World Cup format, which reflects the views and feelings of many football fans. He says: ”There’s too much football. It’s always the same clubs, the same players, who should be resting. They’ve played in a sweltering summer – it’s harmful and irresponsible. You can’t do that. The players must be protected.”

This is certainly relatable, and with the football schedule becoming increasingly more unpredictable and busier, more tournaments and competitions being added each year, it is no wonder why the number of injuries players are suffering from is increasing. It has come to the point where the elite players are only able to have a long break from the sport once every four years, due to their international commitments over the summer, and with the Club World Cup looking like it will continue long into the future.

As well as criticising the Italian for his running of football’s governing body, Blatter has been honest about his own choices made in the past, after he admitted that handing the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was “a mistake” back in 2022. Later saying that the Gulf State was “too small a country” to host a World Cup.

How do Their Tenures Compare?

Sepp Blatter ran FIFA’s operations from 1998 to 2015, when he stepped down following an investigation into why he paid Michel Platini 2 million Swiss Francs in 2011. And although this was of course later cleared, it did damage Blatter’s reputation drastically and was the reason he was acquitted off his role, alongside many other members which opened the door for Gianni Infantino - of which Blatter was originally supportive of.

Sepp Blatter has reacted to Gianni Infantino's election as FIFA president #SSNHQ pic.twitter.com/LGNRBxTtZM

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 26, 2016

Blatter had run FIFA for 17 years and was about to be elected for another four-year term until the case had been brought to light. Allowing Qatar to host the World Cup in 2010 saw allegations against him of Qatar vote-buying their way into hosting the tournament with many believing they had been bribed for it.

What was found out later, however, revealed that, in the executive committee, they had “…agreed to give the United States the World Cup in 2022. It would have been a gesture of peace if the two long-standing political opponents had hosted the World Cup one after the other.”

Whether this would have been the smartest decision or not, it may have happened if it were not for Platini of France who believed that giving it to two countries Russia and Qatar who had not hosted the World Cup before was good “for the development of football.”

As we have seen, Infantino certainly has a centralised way of making decisions, doing so without consulting his fellow members of FIFA. This was demonstrated when he travelled to the Middle East to meet Donald Trump at the same time of a scheduled congress meeting over in Paraguay. To be fair to the Italian, he did seem to strengthen ties with the US President in terms of relations, with the pair spotted together exchanging words and laughs at the Club World Cup Final in New York, which could result in more business deal in the future.

Donald Trump attending the Club World Cup Final and sitting next to Gianni Infantino. Trump arrived via helicopter around 25 minutes before kick-off.🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/kSkQRwdq9p

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) July 13, 2025

The Italian’s style since taking over from Blatter in 2016 certainly has been commercially focused. Driven by the introduction of the Club World Cup and handing future World Cups to both United States and Saudi Arabia, it is no doubt that FIFA have secured incredible finances since the takeover, with the Club World Cup alone having generated more than $2bn in revenue, or $33m per match, reported by the BBC.

One thing which Infantino has been actively working on which is definitely promising for the development of football is how he helping to improve football in Africa. The 55-year-old potentially saw the promise in South Africa’s World Cup in 2010, where the hosts put on a show and Ghana famously made the Quarter Finals.

With the expanded World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, Infantino has almost doubled the participation rate of African nations. They will go from five to nine, with a tenth being possible should that team qualify through a play-off.

Since taking over, Infantino has also significantly increased the budget of investment into African football – going from $70m per four-year cycle to $500m for the 2023-2026 one. In 2019, he also announced plans to raise $1bn to build one stadium meeting FIFA standards in each African country. He has shown his promise to Africa too, by also awarding Morocco a role in its joint-hosting of the 2030 edition (in which a game will also be played in Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay as a result of their centenary celebration).

Are Blatter’s Criticisms Justified?

It should be said that Infantino’s relationship with the Middle East may not have been as strong if the 2022 World Cup was not awarded to them. Furthermore, we would not have had any of the ethical allegations that have occurred over human rights over the building of the football stadiums in time for the competition.

'In brushing aside legitimate human rights criticisms, Gianni Infantino is dismissing the enormous price paid by migrant workers to make his flagship tournament possible – as well as FIFA’s responsibility for it.'

Amnesty have responded to Gianni Infantino's comments. pic.twitter.com/GduPbfqLbl

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 19, 2022

Blatter may also be questioned over his remarks over the commercial focus of Infantino, with the Swiss man coming under plenty of scrutiny over finances during his tenure. It can also be said that Infantino is clearly putting some money into the right places, such as developing football and it's infrastructure and facilities in Africa.

These men may not have completely unblemished records and have come across their fair share of controversial allegations, but it does certainly make us wonder if the comments made by Blatter do actually have some sense of credibility behind them, or if he is being rather hypocritical in his statements.