FIFA boss Gianni Infantino ‘a fan of rich and powerful people’ – Michel Platini

US PAY DAY: Michel Platini and Gianni Infantino, pictured at the 2013 Women’s Champions League final at Stamford Bridge (Nick Potts/PA)

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been criticised by his old boss Michel Platini, who says the Swiss has “always been a fan of rich and powerful people”.

Infantino, who has forged a close relationship with United States President Donald Trump heading into this summer’s World Cup finals in North America, served as general secretary at UEFA during Platini’s presidency.

Platini had been the favourite to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president until he was caught up in a criminal investigation over a payment he received from Blatter.

🗣️ "Infantino est un très bon secrétaire général, un bon numéro 2, mais pas un bon numéro 1. Je pense qu'il a profité de mes problèmes mais je ne pense pas qu'il a voulu me faire du mal."

⭐ Michel Platini nous donne son regard sur Gianni Infantino, en direct dans l'After ! pic.twitter.com/Elhy0UJiDT

— After Foot RMC (@AfterRMC) March 9, 2026

That allowed Infantino to push forward his own candidacy to be president in 2016, and he has now been in football’s top job for a decade.

Platini, who has been cleared of any wrongdoing over the Blatter payment in the Swiss courts, gave a withering assessment of Infantino when speaking as a guest on RMC’s ‘After Foot’ programme.

“Infantino is a very good secretary general, a good number two, but not a good number one,” he said.

“I don’t think he’s good at politics. He’s a good administrator, but he’s not charismatic and I don’t think he says good things.

Donald Trump and Infantino, pictured at the 2026 World Cup finals draw in Washington DC in December (Sam Corum/PA)

“He’s always been a fan of rich and powerful people. He’s always been like that, even when he was secretary general.”

FIFA has been contacted for comment by the Press Association.

Infantino has faced particular criticism over his close relationship with Trump, who was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December.

Since then the Trump administration has seized Venezuelan president Miguel Maduro and placed him in custody in the US, threatened to annex Greenland and most recently launched air strikes on Iran.