- FIFA President Gianni Infantino has arrived in Nairobi, Kenya to watch the historic CHAN final pitting Madagascar against Morocco.
- Infantino is not the first FIFA President ever to visit Kenya.
- Sepp Blatter and João Havelange also visited Kenya at the time when they served as FIFA Presidents.
Following the visit of FIFA President Gianni Infantino to Nairobi in August 2025 for the CHAN final, a common question has emerged: Is he the first FIFA President in history to travel to Kenya? The answer is no.
While Infantino’s official visit to Kenya is significant, the Swiss is not the first FIFA President to set foot in Kenya.
This article will look into the other FIFA Presidents that have had an opportunity to visit Kenya in the past.
João Havelange trip to Kenya
Former FIFA President João Havelange came to Nairobi, Kenya in 1992. During the visit, Havelange, who served as the head of the world football governing body was accompanied by the then FIFA Secretary General Sepp Blatter.
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Since Havelange used to travel to different countries during his tenure, one of the aims of his visit to Kenya and other African countries was to strengthen the relationship between FIFA and the country’s football governing body.
Sepp Blatter’s visit to Kenya
Similar to Havelange, ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter also made an official trip to Nairobi, Kenya in 2009.
Blatter’s visit to Kenya was linked to the 2010 FIFA World Cup Trophy tour. He came to Nairobi to promote the 2010 FIFA World Cup that was held in South Africa.
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As the head of FIFA then, Blatter traveled to Kenya and other countries in the continent to drum up excitement ahead of the memorable tournament.
What is the significance of FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s visit to Kenya?
Although the main purpose of Infantino’s visit to Kenya is the CHAN 2024 final where Madagascar and Morocco will battle it out for the prestigious trophy, his trip is also expected to boost football development in the country.
For instance, during his first press conference in Nairobi, Infantino urged investors to invest in Kenya’s football.
“When you see the passion that is here, the commitment; new stadiums are being built here, infrastructure coming together, you have heard about the viewing figures (40 million), the fans, this shows that it is right to invest in the game because this is investment in the youth of Kenya which has incredible talent,” explained Infantino.
Therefore, his visit is a show of confidence and recognition of football talent. In addition, the historic trip is a recognition of the passion that Kenyans have on football. In short, Kenya will reap a lot of benefits from Infantino’s visit.
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