FIFA's Infantino targets critics he says spread 'false rumors' about World Cup - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

What the report says

ABC News, carrying an Associated Press report by Graham Dunbar, reported that FIFA President Gianni Infantino used a lengthy statement published late Sunday on Instagram and FIFA’s website to rebuke critics of the recently completed World Cup. The statement came one week after the final and was issued from FIFA’s base in Geneva, according to the report. Infantino said critics had spread “hate and false rumors,” while portraying FIFA as having staged a successful tournament that brought fans together.

The AP report said FIFA and Infantino were criticized during the tournament over several issues, including entry problems affecting Iran team officials, a Somali referee and some fans seeking to travel to the United States. Other points of controversy cited in the report included questions around U.S. President Donald Trump’s alleged political influence in a disciplinary matter involving American forward Folarin Balogun, high ticket prices, and commercial breaks during play across the 104-match tournament.

Infantino’s statement argued that the event drew packed crowds across host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. On Iran, he said the team entered the U.S. without incident after pre-tournament concerns, while the AP noted the squad had shifted its training camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico. On denied visas, he contrasted a small number of refusals with what he described as millions of approvals.

The report also placed the statement in the context of Infantino’s strained relationship with media during his 11th year as FIFA president. It noted that his recent Mexico City press conference was his first full international media appearance since March 2023, when he questioned why reporters were “so mean.”