Infantino tells Fifa critics to 'meditate, pray or watch football'

Published 27 July 2026 · sports

Infantino also addressed criticism surrounding the standard of officiating at the tournament, in particular concerns about political interference after USA forward Folarin Balogun was made

Infantino also addressed criticism surrounding the standard of officiating at the tournament, in particular concerns about political interference after USA forward Folarin Balogun was made available for their last-16 tie when his one-match ban was suspended by Fifa - following the intervention of US President Donald Trump. Of the 191 other red cards shown at a men's World Cup, only one other player has escaped a suspension. Uefa said the decision had "crossed a red line", labelling it "unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable", while the Norwegian Football Federation is considering filing a formal complaint to Fifa's ethics committee.

Infantino, however, argued that such decisions are not out of the ordinary, claiming similar rulings are "routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide". He added: "It's curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising." The International Olympic Committee has said it will not investigate Infantino for any possible breaches of political neutrality, stating the complaint levelled by human rights campaign group FairSquare falls outside the jurisdiction of its ethics commission. Infantino's advice to his opponents was "to show some love" and "respect" to a tournament where "people came together as families, as fans, as one".

"To everyone who missed our beautiful game, the emotions, the celebrations, the laughter, the crying, the deception and the joy. To all of you who missed watching kids, babies, grandparents and parents come together for the beautiful game... sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all," Infantino wrote. "While they celebrated, you were busy planting seeds of hate. Our world needs love, not hate; tolerance, not division; celebration, not mourning. "To those spending their time and energy hating us, please take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray or watch a football match and truly observe the faces, the eyes, the emotions.

"Because only our beautiful game can deliver such an extraordinary show, a show where everyone becomes one and reconnects as humans. "I am incredibly proud, as Fifa President, to have contributed, even a little, to this show. It's a great feeling."