Gianni Infantino: Fifa President Apologises for Comments About British Football Fans

LONDON – Fifa President Gianni Infantino has issued a formal apology for controversial remarks targeting British football supporters, a move that comes amid escalating tensions between world football's governing body and fan groups over the spiralling cost of attending major tournaments. The apology, delivered in a televised interview, attempts to quell a firestorm ignited by comments that stereotyped English fans as "criminals" who "riot around the world."

The incident adds another layer of scrutiny to Infantino's leadership as Fifa navigates the complex preparations for the expanded 2026 World Cup, an event already dogged by concerns over affordability and logistical hurdles for travelling fans.

The Davos Remarks and Fan Backlash

The controversy began last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a global stage where Infantino made what he later described as a "light-hearted remark."

Speaking about the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he noted it was "really special" that no British nationals were arrested for football-related offences during the tournament. However, he went further, making inflammatory and generalized statements about fan behaviour.

• The Controversial Statement: In his initial comments, Infantino was reported to have said English people "just go and riot around the world" at football matches, referring to them as "criminals." These remarks were widely interpreted as a crude and outdated stereotype, ignoring decades of progress in fan safety and culture.

The response from supporter organizations was swift and sharp. The Football Supporters' Association (FSA), which represents fans in England and Wales, condemned the comments, linking them directly to the prohibitive costs associated with recent World Cups.

• Fan Group Response: The FSA issued a powerful rebuke, stating that Infantino should "concentrate on making cheap tickets" for the upcoming 2026 World Cup rather than "making cheap jokes about our fans." This highlighted a core grievance: that many dedicated fans were priced out of attending the Qatar tournament, a trend they fear will accelerate for the North American event.

The Apology and Clarification

In an interview with Sky News, Infantino sought to walk back his statements, framing them as a misjudged attempt to praise the atmosphere at the Qatar World Cup.

He insisted his words were "meant to be more of a light-hearted remark" to underscore that the tournament "was a celebration" and "a peaceful event."

The 55-year-old Swiss-Italian issued a direct apology, saying it was "not my intention" to cause offence. Notably, he first offered his regrets to fans from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland before addressing the specific comments aimed at English supporters.

Infantino, who has stated he is a "huge fan of English football," conceded he was wrong to make the sweeping generalizations about rioting and criminality.

A Pattern of Contentious Decisions

The gaffe over fan comments does not exist in isolation. It follows another recent and highly criticised decision by Fifa's leadership: the awarding of a new "peace prize" to a controversial political figure.

Before the draw for the 2026 World Cup last December, Infantino defended the decision to award former US President Donald Trump the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize.

• The Trump Award: Infantino justified the award by stating that Trump "deserves it" for being "instrumental in resolving conflicts and saving lives." He acknowledged a "strong reaction" to the decision but stood by the rationale that the prize was for a person who had "taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace." The move was widely seen as a divisive political alignment for an organization that officially promotes neutrality.

These incidents, taken together, paint a picture of a leadership style that critics argue is often out of touch with the sport's grassroots and prone to questionable judgment on the world stage.

Navigating Governance and a Landmark World Cup

Infantino's apology comes at a critical juncture for Fifa. The organization is preparing for the 2026 World Cup, its most ambitious and financially significant tournament to date. The event's success hinges not only on logistics but also on maintaining goodwill with football's most important stakeholders: the fans.

• 2026 World Cup Challenges: The tournament will be the first to feature 48 teams and the first to be co-hosted by three nations (the United States, Canada, and Mexico). The vast geographical spread presents unprecedented travel and accommodation costs for supporters, making the FSA's concerns about affordability more acute than ever.

• Qatar's Legacy: Infantino’s eagerness to label the 2022 World Cup a "peaceful" success is part of a broader PR effort to shape the narrative around a tournament plagued by years of intense scrutiny. The event was held against a backdrop of major controversies, including the treatment of migrant workers, restrictive laws affecting fans, and questions over the integrity of the bidding process. His comments about British fans can be seen as a clumsy attempt to bolster this positive legacy, which ultimately backfired.

The Bottom Line

While Gianni Infantino's apology may be a necessary act of damage control, it does little to address the fundamental issues his comments exposed. The deep disconnect between Fifa's leadership and the everyday concerns of football supporters—particularly regarding the commercialization and rising costs of the sport—remains a significant point of friction.

As Fifa steers toward the monumental 2026 World Cup, the organization's ability to manage its finances, logistics, and public relations will be paramount. For a president who came to power promising a new era of transparency and reform after the Sepp Blatter scandal, these recurring missteps raise serious questions. The focus now shifts to whether Fifa will follow this apology with concrete actions to make its flagship tournament more accessible and inclusive for the global fanbase it claims to serve.