Fifa President Gianni Infantino has issued an apology to British fans after his comments about their behavior at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar sparked widespread criticism. The remarks were deemed a "cheap joke" and "neither helpful nor accurate" by UK football policing officials, who pointed out that English fans have historically been involved in incidents at tournaments.
Infantino explained that his intention was to highlight the peaceful nature of the World Cup event, but his words were misinterpreted. He defended the decision to award US President Donald Trump a peace prize at last year's World Cup draw, stating that "objectively, he deserves it" due to his role in securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
However, Infantino faced further criticism for the timing of the award, particularly after Trump's administration made headlines with its handling of Venezuela and Greenland issues. Despite this, Infantino maintained that there were no calls for a boycott of the World Cup, which is set to take place in 2026.
In a surprise move, Infantino also indicated that Russia may be allowed back into international football, citing the potential benefits of allowing Russian youth teams to compete at the youth level. He argued that the current ban had "created more frustration and hatred" rather than achieving its intended goal.
Infantino explained that his intention was to highlight the peaceful nature of the World Cup event, but his words were misinterpreted. He defended the decision to award US President Donald Trump a peace prize at last year's World Cup draw, stating that "objectively, he deserves it" due to his role in securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
However, Infantino faced further criticism for the timing of the award, particularly after Trump's administration made headlines with its handling of Venezuela and Greenland issues. Despite this, Infantino maintained that there were no calls for a boycott of the World Cup, which is set to take place in 2026.
In a surprise move, Infantino also indicated that Russia may be allowed back into international football, citing the potential benefits of allowing Russian youth teams to compete at the youth level. He argued that the current ban had "created more frustration and hatred" rather than achieving its intended goal.
i feel bad for him cuz he didnt mean 2 offend ppl but his words still came out wrong u no? 
can you believe this guy's ego? like he thinks awarding Trump a peace prize is gonna earn him brownie points with everyone... meanwhile, most people are still trying to figure out what exactly made the US prez so "peaceful" 
and infantino's got the nerve to say Russia might get back into the game? like, didn't we all learn our lesson about them from the whole Ukraine mess? 
The timing of that decision is definitely interesting, especially with all the tensions between Russia and Ukraine right now. It's gonna be hard to gauge public opinion on this one, but it feels like FIFA is just trying to do what's best for everyone involved. 
. And what really gets me is that Infantino thinks the ban on Russia was all about creating "frustration and hatred" 
. Maybe it's time for FIFA to rethink their approach and focus on promoting good sportsmanship instead of just trying to be PC 
.
It's not exactly a recipe for rebuilding trust in international football when you're allowing teams that sponsor wars and human rights abuses to compete at the youth level 
. Can't they see how their actions reflect on the whole sport? 