The FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has dramatically abandoned the 2026 World Cup on the eve of the semi-finals, flying to Qatar to attend the funeral of the late ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. A private jet linked to Infantino departed Miami on Sunday, hours after he watched England’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over Norway, and arrived in Doha the following day. Infantino was seen among the mourners for the father of the Emir, who died at 74. Qatar announced four days of national mourning. Infantino is expected to return to the US within 24 hours.
His departure leaves a tournament that has already seen heavy criticism of his travel habits. During the group stage, Norwegian magazine Josimar reported that he flew 50,000 kilometres on a private jet provided by Qatar. This is not the first time Infantino has left a major tournament mid-flow: during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, he crisscrossed the Pacific, triggering a backlash that prompted him to tell critics to “chill, relax, live and let live”.
“FIFA president Gianni Infantino leaves World Cup for Qatar funeral as France face Spain in semi-final”
On the pitch, the semi-finals promise fireworks. “The semi-final between France and Spain should be the final based on what I’ve seen,” said BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton. “Spain are the best footballing side in terms of the way they play and control games, while France have the firepower and the flair.” France have scored 16 goals in six games, winning all in 90 minutes, while Spain have conceded just once. Sutton added: “I still can’t look past France as winners… I can see France having quite a few opportunities on the break.”
France’s preparations, however, have been hit by an injury scare. Didier Deschamps issued an update on Kylian Mbappe, who is recovering from an ankle problem and trained separately on Monday. The striker’s fitness could be decisive against a Spain side who, Sutton noted, have not seen the best of Lamine Yamal so far. “Yamal scored when they beat France in the semi-final of Euro 2024 and how he plays this time will have a large bearing on how the game goes,” Sutton said.
In the other half of the draw, England face Argentina after what Sutton described as “a pretty gentle draw”. “They have been the team who have produced big moments to get through matches,” he said, but added: “I actually think they have got a great chance of getting past Argentina, for many reasons.” The winners of both semi-finals will meet at MetLife Stadium near New York City on Sunday.
For Infantino, the funeral in Doha is a reminder of the relationships that have defined his tenure. The late Sheikh Hamad, who stepped down as emir in 2013, oversaw the bid that brought the 2022 World Cup to Qatar – a tournament that became hugely controversial because of the plight of migrant workers who built the stadiums and infrastructure. Infantino has long cultivated ties with the Al Thani family. Whether his absence disrupts the final days of this World Cup remains to be seen.