FIFA President Gianni Infantino received a Lebanese passport at the Interior Ministry in Beirut on February 16, 2026, months after being granted citizenship by Lebanon's president. The Swiss-Italian executive, married to a Lebanese citizen, expressed pride in his new nationality during the ceremony. This marks an exception to Lebanese law, which typically does not allow women to pass citizenship to foreign spouses.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the governing body's leader since 2016, completed formalities to obtain his Lebanese passport on Monday at Beirut's Interior Ministry. Accompanied by family members, he met President Joseph Aoun, thanked him for the citizenship grant, and underwent standard procedures including document submission, photography, and fingerprinting before receiving the blue document.
Infantino, born in Switzerland to Italian parents, already holds citizenship from both countries. His marriage to Lina al-Ashkar, a Lebanese national, prompted the exceptional approval. Under standard Lebanese law, women cannot automatically transmit nationality to foreign husbands or children, unlike men who can pass it to spouses after a period and to offspring immediately. President Aoun made a special exemption for Infantino and his family.
In a video statement broadcast by local TV stations, Infantino said, “I’m very proud and very happy to be here in Beirut at the Ministry of Interior to finally get my Lebanese passport. I love Lebanon.” The event underscores Infantino's personal ties to the country amid his global role overseeing soccer, including preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA, the international soccer governing body, has not detailed how the new citizenship might affect Infantino's duties, but it highlights his multifaceted background in leading the sport's premier organization.
