Fans have noticed a conspicuous presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the television broadcast of the 2026 World Cup matches, where the camera almost constantly highlights his face – a phenomenon that previously drew attention during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

This repeated appearance comes amid debate over FIFA's role and its relationship with the media during major tournaments.

A report by The Athletic stated that the matter is not related to the decisions of the broadcasting channels, but rather to the mechanism of the official broadcast production of the tournament.

Infantino during the Norway-England match (Reuters)

Host Broadcast Services (HBS) is responsible for producing the international signal for all World Cup matches, providing the footage to all rights-holding channels worldwide, such as Fox and Telemundo in the United States, and BBC and ITV in Britain. Thus, all channels are obliged to use the same signal and do not have the freedom to choose or delete shots.

Although FIFA denies the existence of specific instructions to show Infantino, there is an agreement between the federation and the production company to include a 'shot of official personalities' at least once per half, to highlight senior officials in the stands, including heads of state, federation officials, and prominent figures.

FIFA President present at the Colombia-Switzerland match (dpa)

During the England-Norway match, for example, Infantino appeared alongside Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, but some shots seemed clearly focused on the FIFA President.

A FIFA spokesperson told The Athletic: 'It is customary for the directorial plan to include shots of sports officials, public figures, and celebrities present in the stadium, regardless of who they are.'

This approach differs from other tournaments, as the English Premier League or most UEFA competitions do not have a similar policy that obligates directors to show tournament officials repeatedly during matches.

Infantino's media presence gains additional importance as he prepares to run for the FIFA presidency in 2027, seeking a third term extending until 2031, which would give him 15 years in office if re-elected.

The presidents of the Belgian and United States federations with Infantino in the middle (AP)

Infantino currently faces no announced opponent, and he enjoys public support from three continental confederations: Asia, Africa, and South America, which together represent 110 national associations out of 211 FIFA members.

This comes despite ongoing criticism faced by FIFA's administration during the current tournament, whether in refereeing and disciplinary matters or due to its handling of some political issues related to the United States hosting the tournament, which has kept the debate alive over Infantino's management of the international federation.

This practice differs from the English Premier League and other competitions, which do not obligate directors to show officials. This comes at a time when Infantino plans to run in the 2027 FIFA elections for a third term. The media focus on him enhances his presence ahead of the electoral deadline.