Gianni Infantino has launched a blistering defence of the World Cup, telling his critics to “meditate, pray or watch a football match” instead of “spreading hate and false rumours” about his leadership and the tournament. In a 15-slide post on his personal Instagram account, later reposted to Fifa’s eight million followers, the president insisted the 2026 tournament – won by Spain in the United States, Canada and Mexico – was a resounding success. “We experienced no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security, only joy and happiness,” he wrote, adding that the World Cup “celebrated humanity at its best”.
Infantino’s open letter, published on Monday, singled out those “behind their pens and papers, behind their screens” whom he accused of being “consumed by hate and criticism”. He claimed that while detractors were “busy planting seeds of hate”, Fifa was “on the front lines organising, working hard, and delivering the best show in the world”. The president downplayed a string of controversies, including visa restrictions that affected teams and fans from conflict-hit nations. He hailed the involvement of Iran – whose coach, Amir Ghalenoei, had called his side the “most oppressed” at the tournament – as a success. “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,” Infantino wrote.
“Infantino tells critics to meditate, pray or watch football instead of spreading hate in defiant defence of 2026 World Cup.”
His assessment stands in sharp contrast to the reality faced by Iran, who suffered visa delays, had “integral” backroom staff denied entry, saw fans’ tickets revoked, and were forced to move their training base from Arizona to Mexico. Other countries were similarly affected: fans from Haiti, Senegal and Ivory Coast were impacted by Trump administration travel bans, while Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US despite holding a diplomatic passport and a valid visa. Infantino dismissed these as “the few people denied visas” and pointed to “the millions who were approved”.
On the pitch, Infantino defended the controversial suspension of an automatic one-match ban for US striker Folarin Balogun after Donald Trump’s intervention, and played down officiating criticism following Argentina’s last-16 victory over Egypt. “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,” he said. “It’s curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising.” However, Fifa is currently investigating Argentina after players and staff were involved in altercations with Spain following the final, and is also examining allegations of racist abuse towards American supporters.