Lebanon Grants FIFA President Infantino Citizenship, But Not Lebanese Women’s Children
On November 25, 2025, FIFA President Gianni Infantino received honorary Lebanese citizenship, granted by President Joseph Aoun. And while comments on the announcement were limited on Instagram, we can imagine the flood of angry Lebanese women who wanted to weigh in.
Lebanon grants honorary citizenship to individuals who have made notable contributions to the country or have strong ties to it. Officials justified granting it to FIFA President Gianni Infantino by citing his marriage to Leena Al Ashqar (which is questionable given Lebanon’s citizenship laws), as well as his “ties to local football”, which apparently outweighs the rights of Lebanese women.
The Lebanese Football Association (LFA) credited him with “developing the game and his continued support for Lebanese football.” Whatever that actually means.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s discriminatory nationality law prevents Lebanese women from passing their citizenship to their spouses and children. This creates a myriad of legal issues around residency, work, education, healthcare, and more. According to Human Rights Watch, this also leaves many children “at risk of statelessness”.
What do you think about Lebanon granting Infantino honorary citizenship? Make sure to check out the #News and #Did You Know? sections on our website for more content like this.
