Watch VideoGianni Infantino hits back at World Cup critics over ‘hate and false rumours’

Fifa president Gianni Infantino dismissed criticism of the World Cup, insisting the tournament brought “only joy and happiness”. Photo: AFP Fifa president Gianni Infantinohas hit back atFifa World Cupcritics, claiming they were “spreading hate and false rumours” and arguing the tournament delivered “only joy and happiness”. In a long open letter published on Monday, Infantino urged detractors to “take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray” after atournament marked by controversiesranging from ticket pricing to visa issues.

“Sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all,” Infantino wrote in a post shared on hisInstagramaccount and Fifa’s official channels. “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. We experienced no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security, only joy and happiness!” The build-up to the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US was dominated by fears over sky-high prices, geopolitical tension, the shadow of conflict and the threat of brutal summer heat across the three host nations.

Iran’s participation against the backdrop of war with the US, along with concerns over Haiti’s domestic crisis and the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, brought renewed scrutiny to visa and travel restrictions. Somali referee Omar Artan became arguably the highest-profile casualty of president Donald Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown when he was denied entry to the US. Infantino, however, defended Fifa’s handling of the tournament.

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“While you spread hatred, we worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war. Iran entered the US without incident or conflict,” he said. “The Iranian team received visas to enter because football is about peace.

It’s not about politics. “Countries facing serious health issues or other challenges were granted visas,” Infantino added. “You mentioned the few people denied visas and overlooked the millions who were approved, from all parts of the world.” His remarks contrasted sharply with those of Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei, who said his side had been the “most oppressed” team at the World Cup. Star striker Mehdi Taremi called his team’s treatment at the tournament a “disaster”.

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