Overview
- On Monday, July 27, Gianni Infantino published a long, public Instagram and FIFA-posted letter that accused critics of "spreading hate and false rumours" and called the tournament a success marked by safety and unity.
- Infantino specifically defended FIFA’s handling of visa issues by saying many teams entered without incident while also noting some denials, and he cited Iran’s participation to argue football rose above politics.
- He downplayed refereeing and disciplinary complaints by comparing overturned or deferred sanctions to common practices in major leagues and referenced the Folarin Balogun case without naming the president's intervention.
- Formal processes continue: FIFA has opened a disciplinary and ethics probe into post‑final incidents involving Argentina, the written ruling on Balogun’s sanction has not been published, and outside complaints from groups such as FairSquare and national federations are escalating.
- The letter tightens a defensive leadership stance that keeps questions about Infantino’s ties to President Trump, FIFA’s decision‑making independence, and access problems for officials and fans in the public eye, and it raises the likelihood of further ethics filings and published rulings to watch next.