OPINION: A decade of Gianni Infantino- transformation or tight grip on African football?

While International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino officially marks ten years at the helm of FIFA, his presidency has been painted in bold strokes of globalization, with Africa positioned not at the margins of world football but closer to its centre circle.

Yet as the confetti settles, the continent finds itself balancing gratitude with questions.

The numbers alone are staggering since through the FIFA Forward program, Africa is projected to receive an estimated USD 1.28 billion between 2016 and late 2026, a sevenfold increase from the pre 2016 era.

Across 54 nations, 203 infrastructure projects have risen from blueprints into concrete reality, and technical centres now hum with drills and data. Artificial turf pitches dot landscapes where once there were dust bowls and hope.

The expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams has guaranteed Africa at least nine slots for 2026, up from five. That shift alone reshapes ambition as it tells a young striker in Kisumu or Kumasi that the road to the world stage is no longer a narrow alley but a wider highway.

In Kenya, the impact feels tangible. Infantino’s maiden visit in August 2025 during the African Nations Championship final signaled intent. Days later, he stood at State House with William Ruto and received title deeds for land in Machakos, earmarked for a KSh 595 million FKF Technical Centre.

That project, complete with three pitches, medical facilities and hostels, is more than bricks and grass. It is architecture for the future.

After a tense period of frozen funds triggered by governance disputes, FIFA lifted its development ban in December 2025, unlocking roughly Ksh 1 billion for the Football Kenya Federation. Add to that the rollout of the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, including the recent training of 30 scouts in Nairobi under expert guidance, and you see a system attempting to become data-driven rather than guess-driven.

But the decade has not been free of turbulence. Critics question governance standards across some African associations. The unopposed reelections of Infantino and Patrice Motsepe raise concerns about competitive democracy within football leadership.

Grand commercial visions such as the African Super League face doubts about broadcast viability. And despite heavy investment, Africa’s 2018 World Cup campaign yielded no teams beyond the group stage.

Infantino’s ten years in office have undeniably expanded opportunity. The next decade will test whether expanded opportunity can evolve into sustained excellence. Africa now has more seats at the table.

The real challenge is ensuring those seats translate into silverware rather than symbolism.