Gianni Infantino told football fans to “chill. relax” on the eve of the World Cup, while Fifa faced criticism from the United Nations over the immigration issues that have overshadowed the buildup to the tournament.
The Fifa president launched a staunch defence of his organisation’s handling of the tournament, particularly regarding ticket prices. visa problems, and claimed no one else would have been able to secure the participation of Iran, who are at war with one of the three host nations, the United States.
Infantino insisted he had no regrets over Fifa awarding hosting rights to the USA, who will stage 78 of the tournament’s 104 matches, despite fans from four competing countries being hit with travel bans. the Somali referee Omar Artan being denied entry at Miami airport this week.
“We don’t live on the moon, we live on planet Earth,” Infantino said. “We have to respect that we are not kings of the world, who can rule over governments and police forces. We are a sports organisation that does as much as we can. It’s important sometimes to chill, relax. We work on everything. Sometimes screaming and shouting does not find a solution.”
Infantino began with a 35-minute monologue in which he urged the media to focus on football before addressing what he described as the three main issues: ticket prices, Iran. immigration to the United States.
The 56-year-old. who has been widely criticised for Fifa’s lack of transparency, then gave lengthy answers to the handful of questions that were permitted over a further 40 minutes before departing the stage with a wish that his audience enjoy the tournament.
Artan’s exclusion led the UN to call for an American rethink on immigration earlier in the day,. Infantino defended the US’s right to control its borders despite having previously promised that this would be the most inclusive World Cup ever.
“In 2035 we hope the Women’s World Cup will be in the United Kingdom,” he said. “Would you find it normal that Fifa would dictate to the British government who to let into the country?
“Unfortunately we live in an aggressive world and security goes above everything.
“When I say chill I don’t mean sit and do nothing. I mean trust us that we are trying to find solutions. Sometimes we are successful, sometimes we are not.”
Infantino was equally robust in defence of Fifa’s ticket pricing, claiming that if they were cheaper the majority of would have been resold on the black market,. that the money generated was required to fund football in poor countries all over the world.
“Until today we have sold over six million tickets,” he said. “The demand has been unprecedented, not by a little bit, but by a factor of 10 or more.
“The World Cup is a unique event that takes place every four years,. when you’re in one country you need to deal with local habits and local customs. Our entry price at $60 is the lowest of all the American sports in the playoff phases. Our average price of $500 is lower than the average price for American playoffs. You can at least compare the World Cup with the playoffs. When we put tickets on sale on the secondary market they are sold at a much higher price. which shows the original price was accurate.
“What’s most important in all of this is that every dollar we generate goes back into football. If we were selling our TV rights to pay-TV, like everyone else, we would generate four times as much revenue. And we could give all the tickets away, but they would still end up on the black market.
“As Fifa president we have to strike a balance. We invest in countries where no one else does – South Sudan, Butan. No one else is doing this.”
Infantino also took credit for the participation of Iran despite the fact that they have been forced to move their training camp to Mexico with many of their backroom team denied entry to the US,. ended with a personal note of thanks to Donald Trump.
“I went to see the Iran team in Turkey in March when people were saying it would be impossible for them to come,” he said. “I told them they would come. if I had to take a bus to Iran and drive them here, I would. They said they would drive the bus themselves. I don’t know who else in these circumstances would have made sure that Iran would come and play.
“I’m very proud of my team and grateful to the administrations of all three host countries. I have a great relationship with President Trump. Without his engagement it would have been impossible to organise a World Cup in the United States. He understood immediately the magnitude of the World Cup and he helped to assist.”
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