Gianni Infantino has been re-elected as president of FIFA until 2027 after standing unopposed at the congress of world football’s governing body on Thursday.

Delegates from the 211 member federations elected the 52-year-old Swiss lawyer, who succeeded the disgraced Sepp Blatter in 2016, to a third term by acclamation, just as they did four years ago.

Infantino told delegates in the Rwandan capital, where the voting system did not register the number of dissident voices, “I love you all.”

While FIFA statutes limit a president to a maximum of three four-year terms, Infantino has already laid the groundwork to remain in office until 2031 by declaring in December that his first three years in office do not count as a full term.

Infantino, who staunchly defended Qatar’s hosting of last year’s World Cup despite the Gulf state’s treatment of migrant workers, women, and the LGBTQ community, has overseen the expansion of the men’s and women’s World Cups as well as massive increases in FIFA revenues.

In 2026, the number of teams competing in the men’s World Cup will increase from 32 to 48, while the women’s World Cup will feature 32 teams for the first time in Australia and New Zealand later this year.

Infantino has also projected an income of $11 billion for the four years leading up to 2026, compared to $7.5 billion for the four years preceding 2022.

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