Coinciding with International Anti-Corruption Day, FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended the 4th International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award summit in Kigali, Rwanda.

“We all have to fight together to win the battle against corruption,” said President Infantino in his address. “When I was elected FIFA President in 2016, FIFA was a toxic brand, but today, after several years of hard work, FIFA is a trusted partner on the international scene. We focused on good governance, the fight against match fixing, the fight against doping and the strengthening of our judicial bodies. What we have learnt is that if we want to be effective in the fight against corruption, we need the support of public authorities. We have to work as a team.”

As part of the summit, awards were presented by the Rule of Law and Anti-corruption Centre (ROLACC), an international centre dedicated to the fight against corruption and the promotion of the rule of law, in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Together with the FIFA President, the ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame, who was hosting this year’s event, the President of the Republic of Namibia Hage Geingob, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Félix Tshisekedi, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Prior to the ceremony, the FIFA President also took part in the unveiling of a monument in Kigali that represents the international community’s solidarity and commitment towards the fight against corruption.