Gianni Infantino has issued an apology after sparking outrage over his comments about British fans at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. The Fifa president, who was criticized for saying that "no Brit was arrested" during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, claimed it was a lighthearted remark meant to highlight the peaceful nature of the event.
However, many have questioned the sincerity of his apology, with the Football Supporters' Association describing his comments as a "cheap joke at the expense of fans". The UK's football policing lead chief constable, Mark Roberts, also called Infantino's remarks "neither helpful nor accurate", given the history of fan behavior at tournaments.
Infantino was subsequently criticized for awarding Donald Trump the inaugural Fifa peace prize at the World Cup draw in Washington last December. The move was seen as a controversial choice, particularly after US forces seized Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and Trump issued threats about using military force to seize Greenland.
However, Infantino defended his decision, saying that Trump "objectively deserves" the award due to his role in securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which saved thousands of lives. He also claimed that football provides a platform for people to come together and forget their differences.
In addition to defending his peace prize decision, Infantino also spoke about the possibility of readmitting Russia into international football. The country has been banned since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but the International Olympic Committee has recommended allowing Russian teams to compete at youth level.
Infantino believes that this would help reduce tension and create more positive relationships between nations through the power of sport. He also dismissed concerns about a potential boycott of the upcoming World Cup due to policies adopted by the Trump administration, arguing that football should be a source of unity rather than division in an increasingly divided world.
However, many have questioned the sincerity of his apology, with the Football Supporters' Association describing his comments as a "cheap joke at the expense of fans". The UK's football policing lead chief constable, Mark Roberts, also called Infantino's remarks "neither helpful nor accurate", given the history of fan behavior at tournaments.
Infantino was subsequently criticized for awarding Donald Trump the inaugural Fifa peace prize at the World Cup draw in Washington last December. The move was seen as a controversial choice, particularly after US forces seized Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and Trump issued threats about using military force to seize Greenland.
However, Infantino defended his decision, saying that Trump "objectively deserves" the award due to his role in securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which saved thousands of lives. He also claimed that football provides a platform for people to come together and forget their differences.
In addition to defending his peace prize decision, Infantino also spoke about the possibility of readmitting Russia into international football. The country has been banned since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but the International Olympic Committee has recommended allowing Russian teams to compete at youth level.
Infantino believes that this would help reduce tension and create more positive relationships between nations through the power of sport. He also dismissed concerns about a potential boycott of the upcoming World Cup due to policies adopted by the Trump administration, arguing that football should be a source of unity rather than division in an increasingly divided world.
I mean, who doesn't love a good apology from someone who's already got their foot in it? Gianni Infantino thinks a simple "I was joking" will make everything okay? 
The guy's comments about the 2022 World Cup were just a "lighthearted remark"... sure, and I'm the Queen of England. 
His apology for making some pretty tone-deaf comments about British fans seems half-hearted at best, if you ask me 
. I mean, come on, a "lighthearted remark" about no Brits getting arrested during the 2022 World Cup? 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around why Fifa would give that award to him. He's made some pretty divisive comments himself, and awarding him a prize just seems like a way to stir up more controversy.
. If we're going to use sport as a platform for unity, let's make sure we're not just ignoring the problems that need fixing 
.
Do they get a seat at the table, or are we just sweeping everything under the rug? 
. Apologies are one thing, but actions speak louder, right? Like, has he actually taken any steps to address the concerns of British fans or even reached out to them directly? 
It's easy to apologize when you're on stage at Davos, but what about after the spotlight fades? 
I'm still not convinced that his peace prize decision was a good idea, especially considering Trump's track record. And readmitting Russia into international football? That feels like a PR stunt more than a genuine attempt to bring nations together 
. It sounds like a weak attempt to salvage face after sparking outrage.
... it's gonna be a long time before we forget what they did in Ukraine.
.
i mean, what even is the criteria for that award again? saving lives in Israel? really? 
but newsflash: football is just as divided as the rest of the world 
.
I mean, yeah, maybe he didn't mean to offend anyone, but still, shouldn't we be taking things like that more seriously?
I get that Trump did help broker some sort of truce between Israel and Hamas, but is that really something to celebrate in football? Can't we focus on the actual sport instead of politics? 
. Football should be about unity and coming together, not about ignoring the real issues at hand and pretending everything is hunky-dory. Can't trust FIFA with the peace prize, and now they're trying to fix this whole Russian thing? Give me a break 
And with all these controversies and boycotts, it just feels like the world cup is gonna be more drama than entertainment this year... 
And now he thinks football can just magically make everyone forget their differences? 
. And now this whole Russia readmitting thing? It's just another way for him to try and mediate tensions between nations without actually doing anything meaningful 
and now hes making moves on readmitting Russia back into the football scene? 
and i gotta agree with Mark Roberts, his peace prize decision was straight fire 