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Gianni Infantino has apologised for joking about the behaviour of British football fans and called for a ban on Russia playing international football to be lifted.
In a wide-ranging interview with Sky News, the head of FIFA also defended his decision to award USA President Donald Trump the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize and hit back at suggestions nations should boycott this summer’s World Cup in protest at Trump’s politics.
Infantino made headlines last month when he noted the good behaviour of supporters at the Qatar World Cup, saying: “For the first time in history, no Brit was arrested during a World Cup. Imagine! This is something really, really special.”
The 2010 World Cup in South Africa also saw no British fans apprehended by police and the Football Supporters Association criticised the FIFA chief’s “cheap jokes”.
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino aimed a jibe at British football fans during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, saying it was ‘really special’ that no British nationals were arrested during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Sitting down with Sky News, Infantino said: “I need first to apologise. It was meant to be more of a light-hearted remark to show that actually the World Cup in Qatar was a celebration, was a peaceful event and everyone came together in a peaceful way.
“So having English fans – real fans – coming in a peaceful way and enjoying and cheering for their team is something that is fantastic.”
England fans will be travelling to this summer’s World Cup – hosted by USA, Mexico and Canada – in significant numbers. That’s despite recent calls for European nations to boycott the event, following Trump’s threat to annex Greenland.
Infantino made Trump the first recipient of the newly-created FIFA Peace Prize in December, just weeks after the President had missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize.
President Donald Trump puts on a medal for his FIFA Peace Prize during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington
“If you managed to save lives, to protect your people and other people around the world, you deserve respect,” Infantino told Sky News. “He was instrumental in resolving conflicts and saving lives and saving thousands of lives.”
Asked for his views on potential boycotts because of Trump’s actions and comments, Infantino questioned why football should be the avenue used for protests about politics.
“If I’m not mistaken, the most important commercial partner of the UK is the US,” he said. “[Around] £330bn a year trade volume. Is anyone proposing that the UK should be stopping doing commerce with the US? I didn’t hear that.
“The same is for the other countries by the way, Qatar or others in the past. I never hear there should be a boycott from doing business or a boycott from political or diplomatic relationships. Why football?”
Russia ban “has just created more hatred”
Infantino also said: “I’m always against bans.”
Russia have been exiled from international competition by FIFA and UEFA since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
That conflict continues – but Infantino says Russia should now be allowed to compete again.
Asked if the ban should be lifted, he said: “We have to. Definitely. Because this ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred.”
Infantino went on to say FIFA should look to change its rules so no country can be banned from competing.
“We should actually never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders,” he said. “Somebody needs to keep the ties open.”
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