Russia

FIFA enlists PR firm to rehabilitate Gianni Infantino’s image — UK daily

TASS English · 2026-08-31

AI SUMMARY

• What happened: FIFA has signed a contract with London-based PR firm Ten Toes Media for approximately $3.1 million to enhance the image of the organization and its president, Gianni Infantino, through the end of 2026. • Why it matters: This move comes amid controversy surrounding Infantino's recent proposal to sell shares of FIFA World Cup commercial rights, which has faced significant backlash from UEFA and CONCACAF, leading to potential boycotts of FIFA tournaments. • What to watch next: Monitor the effectiveness of the PR campaign and any developments regarding Infantino's proposal, particularly responses from UEFA and other football governing bodies as the 2026 World Cup approaches.

FIFA enlists PR firm to rehabilitate Gianni Infantino’s image — UK daily According to The Times, the agreement was signed in March 2025 and it runs through the end of 2026LONDON, August 31. /TASS/. The world’s governing body of football, FIFA, has allegedly signed a contract with the London-based marketing agency Ten Toes Media for an approximate sum of $3.1 million to improve the image of the organization and its President Gianni Infantino, The Times reported on Monday. According to the British-based daily, the agreement was signed in March 2025 and it runs through the end of 2026. A copy of the contract that the daily provided states that the agency was responsible for overseeing FIFA's social media accounts. Infantino announced a proposal on July 30 to sell a share of the FIFA World Cup commercial rights to private investors under a scheme that he claimed would have potentially brought in tens of millions of dollars. The plan involved establishing a company that would control the major men's and women's FIFA tournaments - the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. The organization consulted with people close to the administration of US President Donald Trump prior to voicing this decision. In response to the proposal, the European governing body of football, UEFA, said that 55 of its member-states had voted to boycott all football tournaments sponsored by FIFA. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) also rejected Infantino’s proposal. In March 2023, Infantino was re-elected for another four-year term as the president of FIFA. Infantino, who was 52 at that time, ran unopposed as he was elected unanimously at the 2023 FIFA Congress in the Rwandan capital of Kigali. Infantino was elected the president of the world’s governing body in February 2016 at the FIFA Extraordinary Congress in Paris. 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Source: TASS English
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