Infantino addresses issues surrounding 2026 World Cup participants

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the three major North American nations — the USA, Canada, and Mexico — has officially kicked off. Ahead of this historic tournament, which the entire planet has been eagerly awaiting, a special press conference was held with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The FIFA chief urged media representatives and journalists to set aside political controversies surrounding the tournament and focus primarily on covering the beauty of football.

At the press conference, Gianni Infantino joyfully announced that a true football carnival has begun for the world:

“These days are a time of true joy and a grand football celebration for all of humanity. I am very happy that in just a few hours, the official match ball will be kicked off from the center of the pitch. In the end, the world's highest prize will be awarded to the winning team. It is the most attractive and stunning trophy in the world. It is a priceless trophy that brings beautiful dreams to millions of people across our planet.”

“I hope that during the tournament, we can put various conflicts aside and manage to talk about pure football for a while. After all, we have all gathered here to enjoy this beautiful sport, haven't we?” the FIFA president said, addressing the media.

At the same time, the FIFA chief firmly stated that he has no regrets about the tournament being organized in the USA. In his view, it is natural for organizational problems to occur in global sporting events of such massive scale:

“Organizational issues exist not only in the USA but also in Canada and Mexico. For an event of this magnitude, this is a completely normal and expected process. It is likely impossible to solve all of them instantly and at once,” he noted.

During the press conference, journalists asked about the most sensitive issue surrounding the World Cup — the fact that one of the strongest and most experienced referees from the African continent, a representative from Somalia, was denied entry into the USA. Infantino responded to this situation with a calm demeanor:

“Sometimes you need to assess the situation correctly and take a break. We are not the kings of the whole world who control national governments or local police systems,” the FIFA chief hinted, implying he cannot interfere with national legislation and security measures.

It is worth noting that ahead of the tournament, reports circulated that some prominent players (including those from the Uzbekistan and Brazil national teams) and official referees crossing the US border were subjected to excessively strict and enhanced security checks at airports, as if they were dangerous criminals. One of Africa's most respected referees was barred from entering the country entirely due to visa and entry restrictions. Nevertheless, FIFA leadership remains confident that the pure sporting competition on the pitch will soon make these internal issues forgotten.

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