Meditate, pray or watch football instead of spreading hate - Infantino
FIFA president defends the World Cup's success, dismisses criticism as hatred, and praises Iran's participation amid geopolitical tensions.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino downplays high-profile controversies surrounding the World Cup.
- Hails Iran's participation as a success despite visa delays and logistical hurdles.
- Defends officiating decisions and political interference regarding player suspensions.
- Urges critics to reflect, meditate, pray, or watch football instead of spreading hate.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has downplayed several high-profile controversies surrounding the tournament and hailed the involvement of Iran—who competed despite their ongoing conflict with co-host the United States—as a major success.
Ahead of the tournament, Iran faced severe visa delays, integral backroom staff members were denied entry to the US, and fans had their ticket allocations revoked. Iran was also forced to move their training base from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico due to numerous logistical issues, alongside movement restrictions between their training base and group matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.
These logistical hurdles were not exclusive to Iran. Fans from Haiti, Senegal, and Ivory Coast were impacted by travel bans imposed by the Trump administration. Additionally, Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US despite holding a diplomatic passport and a single-entry visa, due to his alleged association with suspected terrorist organizations.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Infantino also addressed criticism regarding the standard of officiating, specifically concerns over political interference after US forward Folarin Balogun was cleared to play in their last-16 tie when his one-match ban was suspended by FIFA following intervention from US President Donald Trump. Out of 191 other red cards shown at a men's World Cup, only one other player had previously escaped a suspension. However, Infantino argued such decisions are routine and widely accepted in major global leagues.
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee stated it will not investigate Infantino for potential breaches of political neutrality, noting that a complaint by human rights campaign group FairSquare falls outside the jurisdiction of its ethics commission.
"To everyone who missed our beautiful game, the emotions, the celebrations, the laughter, the crying, the deception and the joy. To all of you who missed watching kids, babies, grandparents and parents come together for the beautiful game... sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all."
Gianni Infantino
Infantino's defensive stance reflects deep-seated frustrations regarding the intense scrutiny FIFA faced over its handling of the World Cup. While the governing body highlights record ticket sales and security operations amidst a tense geopolitical landscape, critics argue that dismissing legitimate concerns as mere negativity alienates the public and damages transparency.
Concluding his remarks, Infantino called on detractors to shift their focus. "To those spending their time and energy hating us, please take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray or watch a football match and truly observe the faces, the eyes, the emotions. Because only our beautiful game can deliver such an extraordinary show, a show where everyone becomes one and reconnects as humans."
Source: BBC Sport
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