Fifa President Gianni Infantino has publicly challenged critics of his leadership and the recent World Cup, suggesting they should 'meditate, pray or watch a football match' rather than 'spreading hate and false rumours'. The remarks were made in a 15-slide post on his personal Instagram account, which was subsequently shared with Fifa's eight million followers. Infantino asserted that while his detractors were 'busy planting seeds of hate', Fifa was successfully delivering the 'greatest event on earth', which he claimed 'celebrated humanity at its best' and featured '100% safety and security, only joy and happiness'.
Infantino specifically addressed several high-profile controversies that emerged during the tournament. He hailed the participation of Iran, a nation with ongoing political tensions with co-hosts the United States, as a success, stating that Fifa 'worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war'. This claim, however, stands in stark contrast to statements from Iran's head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, who described his team as the 'most oppressed' at the World Cup. Iran faced significant logistical hurdles, including visa delays for key staff, revoked fan tickets, and restrictions on movement between their training base and match venues.
These issues were not isolated, with fans from countries such as Haiti, Senegal, and Ivory Coast also impacted by travel bans. Somali referee Omar Artan was notably denied entry to the US despite holding a diplomatic passport and a valid single-entry US visa, reportedly due to 'association with suspected members of terror organisations'. Infantino, however, minimised these incidents, writing: 'You mentioned the few people denied visas and overlooked the millions who were approved, from all parts of the world. Because football unites the world, and it was impressively demonstrated this summer.'
Despite Infantino's insistence on 'zero incidents, zero violence, just joy, emotions, happiness, unity, and togetherness', Fifa itself is investigating multiple incidents. These include altercations between Argentina and Spain players after the World Cup final, allegations of racist abuse towards American social media influencer IShowSpeed, and supporter arrests at several matches, including England's semi-final against Argentina in Atlanta. The controversial presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials at World Cup stadiums also drew criticism.
The Fifa President also dismissed concerns regarding the standard of officiating and alleged political interference. Specifically, the decision to suspend USA forward Folarin Balogun's one-match ban, allowing him to play in a last-16 tie following an intervention from US President Donald Trump, drew strong condemnation. Uefa labelled the decision 'unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable', and the Norwegian Football Federation is considering a formal complaint. Infantino, however, maintained that such rulings are 'routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide', adding, 'It's curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising.'