Former UEFA president Michel Platini has criticised FIFA president Gianni Infantino, describing him as increasingly autocratic and overly drawn to wealth and influence.
In an interview with The Guardian published on Thursday, Platini said Infantino, who once served as his deputy at UEFA between 2009 and 2015, had changed significantly since taking charge of world football.
“He was a good number two, but he is not a good number one,” Platini said. “He worked very well at UEFA, but he has a flaw: he likes rich and powerful people — those with money. That is simply his character. He was like that even before, but then he was not the boss.”
Platini added that Infantino’s leadership style had hardened since the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, “Unfortunately, since the pandemic, Infantino has become more of an autocrat.”
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, Infantino has built close ties with US President Donald Trump. He also introduced a special FIFA peace prize, which he presented to Trump during the tournament draw in December.
Infantino, a Swiss-Italian lawyer, succeeded Sepp Blatter in 2016 following a corruption scandal that rocked FIFA. However, Platini argued that FIFA under Infantino has become less democratic than it was during Blatter’s tenure.
“There is less democracy now than in Blatter’s time,” Platini said. “You can say many things about Blatter, but his biggest problem was wanting to remain FIFA president for life. Still, he was good for football.”
Platini further criticised modern football administrators, suggesting that many lack genuine passion for the sport.
“Today’s administrators are simply doing a job. Many of them would not care whether it is football or basketball. Working at UEFA or FIFA does not always mean you truly love football,” he said.
Platini has long been an outspoken critic of Infantino and his inner circle. He has accused Infantino of undermining his own bid for the FIFA presidency by allegedly alerting Swiss prosecutors to an undocumented payment of two million Swiss francs ($2.5 million) made to him by Blatter.