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FIFA president Gianni Infantino has hit back at critics of the 2026 World Cup, telling them to "meditate, pray or watch a football match" instead of "spreading hate and false rumours" about his leadership, the governing body, and the tournament.

In a 15-slide post on his personal Instagram account, which was also carried on FIFA's website and social channels, Infantino addressed "those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens," asserting that while they were "busy planting seeds of hate," FIFA was delivering the "greatest event on earth."

He said the World Cup, which was staged across the United States, Canada, and Mexico and won by Spain, "celebrated humanity at its best," adding that the tournament had "100% safety and security, only joy and happiness."

Coverage comparison

Al Jazeera and the BBC both reported Infantino's Instagram post and his defence of the tournament, while also noting that FIFA faced criticism over a range of issues during the tournament, including visa restrictions affecting supporters and officials from several countries and concerns involving teams from conflict-hit regions, such as Iran.

Deutsche Welle described Infantino's message in more critical terms, noting that he "claims to have 'united' Iran and USA" and contrasting his statements with the experience of the Iranian team, which was forced to stay in Mexico and travel to games in the US, with further last-minute restrictions imposed after matches.

The BBC reported that Infantino's comments "are in stark contradiction to those of Iran's head coach Amir Ghalenoei," who said his team were the "most oppressed" at the World Cup.

Key claims

Iran's participation and travel troubles

Infantino hailed Iran's involvement in the tournament as a success, saying FIFA "worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war," with Iran entering the United States "without incident or conflict."

However, according to the BBC and Al Jazeera, Iran faced significant difficulties. The team experienced visa delays, some "integral" backroom staff were denied entry to the US, and fans had their allocation of tickets revoked. Iran also had to move their training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, following a multitude of logistical issues in the build-up to the tournament, and later encountered restrictions on their movements as they travelled between their training base and group matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.

Deutsche Welle reported that Iran were "treated differently to any of the other 47 teams" and were forced to stay in Mexico and travel to their games in the US, with further last-minute restrictions imposed after their matches.

Travel bans and visa refusals

Travel bans and visa refusals were a running theme of the tournament, according to Deutsche Welle. The outlet reported that Trump's travel bans denied entry to fans from several participating countries, including Haiti, Senegal, Iran, and the Ivory Coast, which faced varying levels of bans or restrictions.

The BBC added that Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US—despite holding a diplomatic passport and a single-entry US visa—because of his "association with suspected members of terror organisations."

Balogun red card ban suspended

All three outlets reported that Folarin Balogun's red card ban was suspended after US President Donald Trump intervened on his behalf. The BBC reported that UEFA criticised FIFA's decision, calling it "unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable." This criticism was not mentioned by Al Jazeera or Deutsche Welle.

IOC complaint rejected

Al Jazeera reported that the International Olympic Committee rejected a complaint against Infantino, stating that it fell outside the jurisdiction of its Ethics Commission. This was not mentioned by the BBC or Deutsche Welle.

Perspectives

Gianni Infantino / FIFA

Infantino defended the tournament in his Instagram post, saying: "We experienced no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security, only joy and happiness!" He also wrote: "While you spread hatred, we worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war. Iran entered the United States without incident or conflict."

Amir Ghalenoei / Iran

Iran's head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, described his team as the "most oppressed" at the World Cup, according to the BBC and Deutsche Welle, after the travel chaos and visa denials for support staff.

UEFA

The BBC reported that UEFA criticised FIFA's decision to suspend Folarin Balogun's red card ban, calling it "unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable."