Wednesday, February 4, 2026 - FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, has apologized over remarks he made about British football fans.
Speaking at last month's World Economic Forum in Davos,
Infantino said the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 had been special because 'for the
first time in history no Brit was arrested'.
His comments were described as a 'cheap' joke at the expense
of fans by the Football Supporters' Association, while the UK's football
policing lead, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, said they were 'neither helpful
nor accurate', given the record of fans at tournaments before Qatar and since.
Infantino was asked about the comments in an interview with
Sky News and 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.'
He also defended his decision to award US President Donald
Trump with the inaugural FIFA peace prize at December's World Cup draw in
Washington, DC, with the move further questioned after US forces seized
Venezuelan President Miguel Maduro and after Trump issued threats around
military force to seize Greenland.
Infantino told Sky News: 'Objectively, he deserves it.'
The Swiss spoke about the role Trump played in securing a
ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, adding: 'He was instrumental in resolving
conflicts and saving lives and saving thousands of lives.'
Infantino also said his organization and UEFA would 'have
to' look at allowing Russia back into international football.
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