FIFA President Gianni Infantino completed the procedures for obtaining Lebanese citizenship during his visit to Beirut, where he received his passport from the Ministry of Interior, while holding meetings with sports officials to discuss files related to supporting football in Lebanon.

Published on: 02/16/2026 - 15:19

During his current visit with his family to Beirut, FIFA President Gianni Infantino completed the procedures for obtaining Lebanese citizenship.

On Monday, Infantino held several meetings, starting with the Lebanese Ministry of the Interior, where he obtained the Lebanese passport. He told the Lebanese Al-Ittihad website in a video clip: “I am proud and happy to be in Beirut and at the Ministry of the Interior to finally obtain my Lebanese passport... I love Lebanon.”

It is noteworthy that Infantino (55 years old) holds dual Swiss and Italian citizenship and is married to the Lebanese Lina Al-Ashqar, a former employee of the Lebanese Football Association, and they have four daughters.

The President of the Lebanese Football Association and Vice President of the AFC, Hashem Haider, pointed out that Infantino’s visit also comes to continue the ongoing discussions between the Lebanese Federation and FIFA regarding a number of files, most notably the project to establish a new stadium in Lebanon with a grant from the International Federation.

The Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut is considered the largest in Lebanon and can accommodate about 50,000 spectators. It opened in 1957 and underwent renovation before hosting the Arab Games in 1997, but has suffered from neglect in recent years.

Haider added that the two sides agreed to visit one of the Arab countries that includes a model similar to this project, to review it in preparation for adopting a similar model in Lebanon, pointing out that work is currently underway to determine the appropriate location, as important progress has been made in this file.

France 24/AFP

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