Khaberni - Swiss Gianni Infantino, President of the International Football Association 'FIFA', reveals why he wants Lebanese citizenship.
Infantino said in an interview with the Qatari channel "Al Kass" on the sidelines of his visit to Doha to attend the 2025 Arab Cup: "I am now proudly Lebanese, very happy to embrace Lebanon, the country of my wife and children, and it is truly a beautiful country."
The FIFA President, who is married to a Lebanese, added: "Lebanon is a country that has suffered a lot, but it is a country that always looks positively towards the future, and as I said, I am a global citizen, I feel happy anywhere in the world."
He continued: "I feel proud today to be Italian, Swiss, and Lebanese, Lebanese with a nationality I carry in my heart."
About how he met his Lebanese wife, Infantino explained: "I met her in Switzerland because she was then working at the Lebanese Football Federation."
He continued: "At that time, I was organizing seminars for FIFA in cooperation with the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, which were intended for directors of federations and sports associations."
He concluded by saying: "My wife attended one of those seminars, and was the only woman among 28 participants, 27 men, and my wife, the only woman, and for that reason, it was very easy for me to fall in love with my wife. She understood the true meaning of football, so I said this is the one."
It is noted that Infantino was born in Switzerland to Italian immigrant parents and has been the president of FIFA since 2016.
