FIFA president Infantino could have stood up for World Cup – instead he said ‘chill, relax’

When Infantino sat down at Azteca he knew what questions would come his way.

How could he not?

D Artan was expelled after 11 hours of questioning Arrived at Miami International Airport just hours earlier, charged by a US official Has links with terrorists in his native land.

“What happened with the referee from Somalia is unfortunate,” Infantino said. “But again, we don’t control everything.

“We’ll try, we’ll discuss, we’ll talk, we’ll see. Maybe sometimes it’s just better to, you know, calm down, relax.”

Those words will come as little comfort to Artan, who returned to Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Wednesday to see his World Cup dream die.

There were no words of support for the officer, no expressions of sorrow. It was just “unfortunate”.

Asked about other visa issues, which have also affected fans and team representatives, Infantino deflected attention to the 2035 Women’s World Cup – which is Almost certain to be awarded in the United Kingdom.

“Do you think it’s normal for FIFA to dictate to the British government who can and cannot go into the country?” Infantino asked.

When England hosted the World Cup in 1966, a strikingly similar situation occurred.

The UK government feared that the presence of communist North Korea could cause a diplomatic shockwave and considered denying entry.

After that, the government was warned by a letter from the Football Association The country is in danger of losing the World Cup Exemptions were granted to allow them to participate.

Indonesia was due to host the 2023 U-20 World Cup Hosting rights have been revoked After saying that Israel will not be allowed to enter.

Yet when the United States makes similar decisions that affect competing World Cup nations like Iran, FIFA says it is powerless.

“Unfortunately, our world is, you know, a very aggressive world, and safety is above everything,” Infantino said. “You have to respect the decisions that are made, and when I say calm down, I don’t mean calm down.

“We have to respect that we are not kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces.

“We are a sports organization. We try to do our best with what we have.”