Infantino hits back at World Cup criticism in open letter

PARIS: FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the 2026 World Cup and accused its critics of “spreading hate and false rumours”, saying the tournament was marked by “only joy and happiness” despite months of controversy before and during the event.

In an open letter published on Monday and shared on his Instagram account and FIFA’s official channels, Infantino told detractors to “take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray” after a competition that had drawn scrutiny over ticket prices, visa problems, geopolitical tensions and concerns about summer heat in the three host nations — Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Infantino wrote, “Sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all.” He added: “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.”

He said FIFA had overseen a tournament with “no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security”, and argued that criticism had ignored the scale of travel approvals granted for the event. Defending FIFA’s handling of politically sensitive cases, Infantino said, “While you spread hatred, we worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war. Iran entered the United States without incident or conflict.” He added, “The Iranian team received visas to enter because football is about peace. It's not about politics.”

The build-up to the tournament had been overshadowed by fears over soaring costs for supporters, conflict-related tensions and strict immigration policies. Iran’s participation came against the backdrop of war with the United States, while Haiti’s domestic crisis and the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo also sharpened attention on travel and visa restrictions. Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the United States under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Infantino said countries facing major health or other challenges were still issued visas and criticised the focus on rejected applications. “You mentioned the few people denied visas and overlooked the millions who were approved, from all parts of the world,” he wrote.

Disputes over treatment and discipline

His defence of the tournament contrasted with complaints from within Iran’s camp. Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team had been the “most oppressed” side at the World Cup, while striker Mehdi Taremi described the team’s treatment as a “disaster”.

Infantino also responded to criticism over officiating and discipline after it emerged that Trump had personally asked him to review a one-match suspension given to US striker Folarin Balogun, which allowed the player to face Belgium in the last 16.

UEFA criticised the Balogun episode as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable” and said it had “crossed a red line”. Infantino, however, said objections to such rulings overlooked how common disputed refereeing and disciplinary decisions are in leading competitions.

Addressing his critics, he wrote, “Your dissatisfaction with a few decisions made by the competent authorities is understandable, but please refer to public records: such decisions are common in some of the most important leagues.” He added that “arguable” referees’ decisions and “strange” disciplinary rulings, including potentially mistaken cards or later decisions not to suspend players, were routine in some of the world’s biggest leagues.