FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended his leadership and the governing body following the 2026 FIFA World Cup, accusing critics of "spreading hate and false rumours" while ignoring what he described as the tournament's success.
His remarks were published on Monday in a 15-slide statement on his personal Instagram account. The message was also shared on FIFA's official Instagram account and distributed to media organisations by FIFA's communications team.
"We experienced no violence, no incidents, 100 per cent safety and security, only joy and happiness!" Infantino wrote.
The statement came a day after US Representative Jamie Raskin accused Infantino of "outright bribery" over his relationship with President Donald Trump, his administration and businesses.
Infantino's message did not address several controversies surrounding the tournament. Supporters from Iran, Haiti, Senegal and Ivory Coast were unable to enter the United States because of travel restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, despite their national teams participating in the competition.
Iran captain Mehdi Taremi described the World Cup as a "disaster" because of restrictions on visas and movement affecting members of his country's football federation.
The FIFA president also made no reference to the deaths of four people, who reportedly suffocated during celebrations in Mexico City following Mexico's round-of-32 victory over Ecuador, according to The Athletic.
Infantino, who has not held a press conference since before the tournament began, also appeared to dismiss criticism over the controversial reversal of an automatic one-match suspension for United States forward Folarin Balogun.
FIFA's disciplinary committee overturned the sanction without providing an explanation. President Trump later said he had called Infantino to ask for the case to be reviewed, although the FIFA president denied that claim.
"Your dissatisfaction with a few decisions made by the competent authorities is understandable, but please refer to public records: such decisions are common in some of the most important leagues," Infantino wrote.
He added: "Indeed, 'arguable' referees' decisions or 'strange' disciplinary rulings such as for instance potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide."
The World Cup has also come under legal scrutiny over ticket pricing. The attorneys general of New York, New Jersey, Texas and California are investigating FIFA's ticketing practices for the tournament.
Raskin has requested that Infantino appear before the House Judiciary Committee, although he does not have subpoena power because Democrats are the minority party in the House.
In a letter, Raskin asked Infantino to provide Congress with "a list of anything of value (including transfer of money, gifts, prizes, awards, or public appearances) given to President Trump, members of his administration, or their family members, or any entity associated with them, such as The Trump Organisation".
Trump and Infantino maintained a close relationship in the lead-up to the tournament. FIFA awarded Trump its first FIFA Peace Prize last year, which Raskin described as "hilariously fake".
Raskin also questioned FIFA's decision to lease office space on the 17th floor of Trump Tower.
"You leased an office space on the 17th floor of Trump Tower -- a space that might retail for $600,000 a year -- even though it would only be used during the 39-day period of the World Cup. That comes to more than $15,000 a day. These actions appear designed to induce President Trump and his administration to make decisions in FIFA's favour," he wrote.
He added: "The most recent quid pro quo that FIFA and President Trump orchestrated is not a victimless crime. It hurts Americans. FIFA has taken its newfound favoured status in the Trump administration as a sign that it may rip off its consumers, most notably, by employing illegal price gouging and fraudulent sales tactics for the World Cup."
Responding to Raskin's letter, White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the president in a statement published by The Athletic.
"Lightweight Jamie Raskin (is) a stupid person's idea of a smart person," Ingle said.
He added: "No other president in history could have pulled off the historic feat that President Trump delivered for the American people and the world.
"Thanks to his bold vision and decisive leadership, the 2026 FIFA World Cup generated billions of dollars in revenue, created a massive economic boost across host cities, and delivered a safe, secure, and seamless experience for millions of fans and athletes from around the globe. It will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest and most successful sporting events in history."
