Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter remains banned from football (Image: FABRICE COFFRINI, AFP via Getty Images)
FIFA’s former president Sepp Blatter is still banned from all football-related activities. Blatter, 90, received two suspensions amounting to more than 12 years, meaning he cannot be involved in the sport until June 2028.
More recently, Blatter’s successor Gianni Infantino has faced considerable criticism following the revelation of plans to sell stakes in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors. The English Football Association is reportedly set to follow the Welsh FA in withdrawing its backing for Infantino’s re-election. A statement from European governing body UEFA recently said: “The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.”
Although Infantino’s future at FIFA is uncertain, this is far from the first time that a head of world football’s governing body has gained attention for the wrong reasons. Blatter took charge of FIFA in 1998 and held the position until he was forced to step down in June 2015, following a corruption investigation launched by the United States. Blatter said during a press conference: “My mandate does not appear to be supported by everybody.”
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He was subsequently handed an eight-year ban from football in December 2015, alongside UEFA president Michel Platini, which was ultimately reduced to six years. The suspension concerned alleged ethics violations after Blatter authorised a £1.3million payment to Platini back in 2011. Both individuals maintained the funds were part of a verbal arrangement for the latter’s role as a technical adviser between 1998 and 2002.
The pair, who have always denied any wrongdoing, were later acquitted of corruption charges in Swiss courts in 2025 regarding the payment. Yet, this came long after Blatter had already declared his intention to leave FIFA and allow the governing body to bring in his replacement, with Infantino officially taking over in February 2016.
Gianni Infantino is currently under fire (Image: FRANCK FIFE, AFP via Getty Images)
Blatter faced an additional suspension in March 2021. He was barred from the sport for a further six years and eight months, beginning from the conclusion of his original suspension in October 2021 and excluding him from football until June 2028.
This was implemented following several breaches of FIFA’s ethics code. The same length of suspension was also given to FIFA’s former secretary general, Jerome Valcke. The governing body determined that Blatter received “an undue economic benefit” of 23m Swiss Francs (£18m) between 2010 and 2014.
A FIFA statement read: “The investigations into Messrs Blatter and Valcke covered various charges, in particular concerning bonus payments in relation to Fifa competitions that were paid to top Fifa management officials, various amendments and extensions of employment contracts, as well as reimbursement by Fifa of private legal costs in the case of Mr Valcke.”
Blatter will remain suspended from all football-related activities until June 2028 (Image: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
The investigation further revealed that Blatter, Valcke, former Argentina football federation president Julio Grondona and ex-FIFA finance director Markus Kattner had “set up a scheme through which they were allowing themselves to obtain extraordinary benefits with a minimum of effort”.
The statement continued: “This vicious circle saw three of them (Blatter, Grondona and Valcke) signing the amendment contracts of the others and approving the respective extraordinary bonuses, while the fourth (Kattner) was in charge of implementing the payment of such bonuses (as well as of keeping the matter ‘off the books’, by not reflecting the bonuses in the Fifa financial statements and not reporting them to the Fifa auditors).”
Blatter had originally joined FIFA as technical director in 1975, later becoming general secretary in 1981. He was voted in as FIFA president in 1998, holding onto the role through four further elections before stepping down in 2015.
The 2021 FIFA Ethics Committee ruling stated: “Mr Blatter held the highest position in football as FIFA president and, as such, had a tremendous responsibility to serve the football community as a role model. By his conduct, the integrity and objectivity of FIFA have therefore been exceedingly violated. FIFA’s reputation has doubtlessly incurred serious and long-lasting damage.”