Invited to speak on the fight against corruption in sport, President Infantino shared the lessons that the new FIFA has learned through its post-2016 reforms, as well as from the corruption scandal that brought down the previous administration.
Laying out the path taken by world football’s governing body in the first five years of his presidency, the FIFA President listed 11 key reforms designed “to tackle corruption, to bring back accountability in FIFA, in football more generally, and to safeguard the integrity of football and, of course, FIFA.”
In particular, those reforms were:
- a fully transparent bidding process for the FIFA World Cup;
- the separation of political and executive powers;
- terms limits and eligibility checks for elected officials;
- transparency of finances and compensation;
- a transparent and centrally supervised transfer system;
- audited football development investment with accountability, which includes a five-time increase in such investment (USD1.8bn) when compared to the past;
- internal and external compliance overseen by an independent Audit and Compliance Committee;
- judicial bodies guided by a new FIFA Code of Ethics;
- strict tender processes for transparent procurement;
- the promotion of women to decision-making positions in football administration; and
- the formalised protection of human rights, and the protection of minors and children in sport, as it is important that our children are in a safe environment.
President Infantino expressed FIFA’s desire to establish partnerships with the members of the G20, and pointed to the power of football to help combat corruption: “It’s crucial that the G20 takes an interest in these matters and gives a clear policy direction because football is much more than just a sport. Sport in general is so important for our society, economically and socially, but also in terms of education. We are here to offer our collaboration, we are here to offer our part as a player of a global team to fight corruption.”