The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, has launched an extraordinary attack at critics of the World Cup, accusing them of spreading hate and false narratives, while defending the tournament as a success that celebrated unity, safety and inclusion.
In a 15-part message published on Monday on Instagram, Infantino claimed detractors had overlooked the joy and togetherness experienced by millions of people around the world who witnessed the tournament, won by Spain and staged in the US, Canada and Mexico.
“You were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all,” the 56-year-old Swiss said. “To those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours, I want to say that while you are sitting behind, we at Fifa are on the front lines organising, working hard, and delivering the best show in the world. We experienced no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security, only joy and happiness.”
Fifa was criticised about a number of issues during the World Cup, including US visa restrictions affecting supporters and officials from several countries, and concerns for teams from conflict-hit regions. Infantino’s open letter followed scrutiny of Fifa’s suspension of an automatic one-match ban imposed on the USA striker Folarin Balogun after the intervention of Donald Trump. Officiating decisions in Argentina’s last-16 win against Egypt also received criticism, most strongly from the Egypt manager, Hossam Hassan.
In his social-media intervention, Infantino said: “Potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide. It’s curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising.”
The Somali referee Omar Artan was barred from entering the US despite having a valid visa, while the Iran team and staff were subject to difficult travel restrictions imposed on them by the US government as a consequence of the war between the two countries. Infantino said: “Iran entered the United States without incident or conflict. The Iranian team received visas to enter because football is about peace. It’s not about politics. Countries facing serious health issues or other challenges were granted visas.”
Infantino’s letter is likely to lead to ridicule of the man who on the eve of the previous World Cup in Qatar declared: “Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arabic. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel a migrant worker.” It has certainly led to further criticism, with the human rights organisation, FairSquare, claiming Infantino’s statement shows he has become “divorced” from his unpopularity.
“Infantino’s score-settling rant further underscores his unfitness to govern world football,” Nicholas McGeehan, director and co-founder of FairSquare, told the Telegraph. “He is cosseted by yes‑men inside the organisation and divorced from the reality of his unpopularity outside of it.”
FairSquare issued a formal complaint against Infantino to the International Olympic Committee, accusing him of breaching its charter by failing to adhere to rules on political neutrality “through statements or other clear expressions of support for the US president”. Infantino has been a member of the IOC since 2020.
The IOC announced on Friday that it would not investigate Infantino as FairSquare’s complaint fell outside its ethics commission’s jurisdiction.
