An 11-metre figure of Gianni Infantino went up in flames at the Edenbridge Recreation Ground in Kent on Saturday night. The caricature of the FIFA president was built so that nobody in the crowd could miss the joke.
Money was stuffed into both ears. A copy of “Presidents for Dummies”, subtitled “how to make billions”, sat in one hand, and a phone was wired to a “red card hotline”.
A wheelie bin at the figure’s feet held a Manchester City shirt and a broken traffic light. On a plinth beside him stood a small golden bust of Donald Trump, standing in as the “FIFA Peace Prize”.
The effigy was made by Andrea Deans, co-chair of the Edenbridge Bonfire Society.
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“I have enjoyed moving away from the traditional political figures we have seen at our event over the last few years, and Gianni Infantino has been a great figure to caricature,” Deans told LBC.
Chairman Bill Cummings explained the choice in the same piece.
“What Mr Infantino has become infamous for is not confined to the world of football. Even those who don’t follow the game will be aware of some of the underhand activities he has been involved in.”
Why the props read like a charge sheet
The society had tried to stay away from politics this year before settling on the FIFA president, whom a spokesperson told Kent Online was “too good an opportunity to miss” after what the society called “a string of controversial decisions” during and after the 2026 World Cup.
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The props had specific targets. The cash referred to the dropped plan to sell private investment stakes in World Cup commercial and broadcast rights, which Infantino was forced to abandon after a wave of criticism. The red-card hotline referred to Trump’s acknowledgement that he had asked Infantino to review the red card shown to United States striker Folarin Balogun.
A tradition that has roasted the famous since 1994
Edenbridge has been putting matches to oversized figures since 1994. Previous targets include Saddam Hussein, Tony Blair, Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, Liz Truss, Keir Starmer and Harvey Weinstein. One year the society chose Italian footballer Mario Balotelli, after he set fire to his own bathroom with fireworks.
Infantino himself has rejected criticism of his handling of the tournament, accusing opponents of being “consumed by hate” and telling them to “reflect, meditate, pray, or watch a football match”.
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