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

FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed criticism of officiating standards at the tournament, highlighting concerns about governmental interference after the United States’ Folarin Balogun was cleared to play in the last‑16 match despite a one‑match ban that FIFA lifted following the involvement of former US President Donald Trump. He noted that of the 191 different red cards shown at a men’s World Cup, only one different player has avoided suspension. UEFA described the move as having “crossed a reddish line”, calling it “unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable”. The Norwegian Football Federation is reportedly considering “filing a ceremonial complaint” to FIFA’s ethics committee. Infantino countered that such rulings are not exceptional, asserting that comparable decisions are “routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide”. He added, “It's funny that the aforesaid countries employing these practices are the ones criticising.” The International Olympic Committee stated it will not “analyse Infantino” for any potential breaches of governmental neutrality, explaining that the complaint submitted by human‑rights watchdog FairSquare lies outside the remit of its ethics commission. Infantino’s message to his detractors was: “To everyone who missed our beauteous game, the emotions, the celebrations, the laughter, the crying, the deception and the joy. To each of you who missed watching kids, babies, grandparents and parents travel unneurotic for the beauteous game... atrocious that you were truthful consumed by hatred and disapproval that you missed it all,” Infantino wrote. “While they celebrated, you were engaged planting seeds of hate. Our satellite needs love, not hate; tolerance, not division; celebration, not mourning.” “To those spending their clip and vigor hating us, delight instrumentality a infinitesimal to reflect, meditate, commune oregon ticker a shot lucifer and genuinely observe the faces, the eyes, the emotions.” “Because lone our beauteous crippled tin present specified an bonzer show, a amusement wherever everyone becomes 1 and reconnects arsenic humans.” “I americium incredibly proud, arsenic Fifa President, to person contributed, adjacent a little, to this show. It's a large feeling.”