Overview
- Blatter, in a Sunday ZDF interview, said FIFA now operates like a dictatorship that silences dissent under president Gianni Infantino.
- He argued Infantino prioritizes meetings with heads of state and frequent jet travel and has forgotten that the core of FIFA is the game.
- He said the organization focuses on money over football and criticized the 2026 World Cup for neglecting sustainability.
- He targeted the expanded tournament across the United States, Canada, and Mexico with 48 teams, saying this would not have happened under his watch.
- Infantino announced in late April that he will seek a third term in 2027, while Blatter led FIFA from 1998 to 2015 and resigned during corruption investigations.