At the pinnacle of international football sits the President of FIFA, a position that wields immense geopolitical influence, controls billions of dollars in commercial revenue, and dictates the strategic direction of the global game.
As the sporting landscape prepares for major expansion milestones, the administrative mechanisms steering the ship have become a focal point for fans and analysts alike. From the elite inner circle of continental vice presidents to the multi-million-pound pay packages decided behind closed doors in Zürich, understanding who holds the levers of power is essential to decoding modern football politics.
This comprehensive guide breaks down the financial realities of the presidency, traces the unbroken chronological line of succession since the governing body's inception, and details the executive council driving the sport's biggest decisions.
What We Will Cover in This Article:
The Presidential Roll Call: A complete, chronological list of every FIFA president and their home nation since 1904.
The Modern Era Succession: Looking back specifically at the leaders who have shaped the governing body since the turn of the millennium.The Complete Chronological List of FIFA Presidents
Since its founding in Paris in 1904, FIFA has been guided by only nine permanent presidents (alongside brief periods of interim leadership). The table below lists every leader in official order, their home nation, and their precise years of service:
| Order | President | Country | Tenure |
| 1 | Robert Guérin | 🇫🇷 France | 1904 – 1906 |
| 2 | Daniel Burley Woolfall | 🏴 England | 1906 – 1918 |
| 3 | Jules Rimet | 🇫🇷 France | 1921 – 1954 |
| 4 | Rodolphe Seeldrayers | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 1954 – 1955 |
| 5 | Arthur Drewry | 🏴 England | 1955 – 1961 |
| 6 | Sir Stanley Rous | 🏴 England | 1961 – 1974 |
| 7 | Dr. João Havelange | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 1974 – 1998 |
| 8 | Sepp Blatter | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 1998 – 2015 |
| - | Issa Hayatou (Acting) | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 2015 – 2016 |
| 9 | Gianni Infantino | 🇨🇭/🇮🇹 Switzerland / Italy | 2016 – Present |
Shifting Power: FIFA Leadership Since 2000
The turn of the millennium marked the beginning of a highly turbulent yet commercially explosive era for football governance. Only a handful of individuals have stepped into the presidential circle over the last quarter-century:
1. Sepp Blatter (1998 – 2015)
Joseph "Sepp" Blatter dominated the sports world for nearly two decades. His tenure was defined by staggering commercial growth, the aggressive globalization of television rights, and historic hosting decisions—most notably taking the World Cup to Africa for the first time in 2010. However, his administration collapsed under the weight of a massive, US-led corruption investigation in 2015, resulting in his suspension and departure from the sport.
2. Issa Hayatou (Acting: 2015 – 2016)
Following Blatter’s sudden suspension, Cameroonian administrator Issa Hayatou stepped up as interim figurehead by virtue of his seniority within the Executive Committee. Hayatou safely minded the shop for four months, ensuring organizational stability until an extraordinary election could be organized.
3. Gianni Infantino (2016 – Present)
Elected in February 2016 on a platform of structural reform and transparency, the Swiss-Italian lawyer has fundamentally reshaped the competitive footprint of football. Infantino has overseen the expansion of the flagship Men's World Cup to 48 teams, established a month-long, 32-team Club World Cup, and dramatically increased development funding to smaller national associations.
Inside the Ledger: The FIFA President's Salary
As part of the anti-corruption, transparency reforms passed on the day Gianni Infantino was elected in 2016, FIFA permanently committed to publishing the exact financial earnings of its top executives.
According to the official annual financial report, Infantino’s complete pay package has reached $6 million (USD).
Presidential Compensation Breakdown:
Annual Base Salary: 2.6 million Swiss Francs (~$3.3 million USD)
Annual Performance Bonus: 2.2 million Swiss Francs (~$2.78 million USD)
Flat-Rate Allowances: 24,000 Swiss Francs (~$30,000 USD)
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TOTAL INTEGRATED COMPENSATION PACKAGE = ~$6,110,000 USThe figures highlight a substantial 33% increase in his annual bonus, rising from a previous flat baseline of $2 million USD.
The Cabinet: The FIFA Vice Presidents List
The president does not rule in isolation. The executive heart of football governance is the FIFA Council, a strategic body composed of elected officials representing the six continental confederations.
Senior Vice-President:
Shk. Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa 🇧🇭 (Bahrain / Asian Football Confederation - AFC)
Vice-Presidents:
Aleksander Čeferin 🇸🇮 (Slovenia / Union of European Football Associations - UEFA)
Sándor Csányi 🇭🇺 (Hungary / Union of European Football Associations - UEFA)
Debbie Hewitt 🏴 (England / Union of European Football Associations - UEFA)
Patrice Motsepe 🇿🇦 (South Africa / Confederation of African Football - CAF)
Victor Montagliani 🇨🇦 (Canada / Concacaf)
Alejandro Domínguez 🇵🇾 (Paraguay / CONMEBOL)
Lambert Maltock 🇻🇺 (Vanuatu / Oceania Football Confederation - OFC)
The Council Premium: For their governance responsibilities, vice presidents who pull double-duty as the outright presidents of their continental confederations receive a flat net annual salary of $300,000 (USD), while standard council members receive a net baseline of $250,000 (USD).
Together, this central core manages the foundational decisions of international sports politics—approving international matchday calendars, fine-tuning the technical parameters of tournaments, and shaping the competitive future of football across the planet.
