FIFA President Gianni Infantino is on track to officially join the Lebanese family after President Joseph Aoun approved the process to grant him Lebanese citizenship. The announcement came through Hashem Haidar, the head of the Lebanese Football Association (LFA), who revealed that Infantino had already been informed of the decree and the steps required to finalize the documentation.
According to Haidar, Lebanon is extending this honour because Infantino is a global figure who has consistently supported the country. A government official, speaking anonymously, also confirmed the development.
Infantino, 55, currently holds Swiss-Italian nationality, but his ties to Lebanon run deep. He is married to a Lebanese woman, Leena al-Ashqar, who previously worked with the LFA. Speaking to Lebanese channel LBCI, Infantino expressed happiness over the forthcoming citizenship, saying he has “felt Lebanese for many years” and is glad to see it formalised.
The LFA further noted that President Aoun has asked Infantino to complete all required legal documents before the decree becomes fully active.
But Infantino didn’t stop at citizenship. He took the moment to shine a light on Lebanese football infrastructure, stating boldly that the country needs a world-class stadium worthy of its youth and ambitions. He shared that plans are already being explored to build a modern 20,000–30,000-capacity stadium — one that would serve not just as a sports venue but as a national symbol.
According to Haidar, Infantino has pledged to personally cover all construction costs for the new stadium once land is provided. The preference, he noted, is for the stadium to be located in Beirut.
This comes at a time when the country’s largest existing stadium, the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium — inaugurated in 1957 and last renovated ahead of the 1997 Arab Games — has suffered years of neglect.
If all goes as planned, Lebanon could soon witness both the naturalisation of the world’s top football administrator and the birth of a new sports landmark signalling a fresh chapter for Lebanese football.