Is Fifa president Gianni Infantino losing it? You might think so from the content and tone of a bizarre ranting message he has just posted on Instagram defending the (apparently) glorious and unmitigated success of the 2026 World Cup against the unspeakable critics who ‘missed all the joy and togetherness’ are ‘consumed by hate’ and seek to ‘divide’ not ‘unite’.
A direct social media appeal to the hearts and minds of the people in sickly sub-literate, emotional language will be his justification for never revisiting the controversies of the World Cup
Over 1,500 passionate but only vaguely coherent words, Infantino extols the ‘emotions, the laughter, the crying, the deception[?] and the joy’ of the greatest show on earth, when ‘kids, babies[?], and grandparents’ all came together to witness a truly magical event brought to a grateful world by the beneficence of Fifa.
There are some extravagant, not to say outrageous (or deluded) claims. Seemingly, Infantino and his tireless Fifa colleagues were ‘on the front line’ scouring the mean streets of the 16 host cities ‘engaging with fans’ and working to ensure their safety and security, while the ‘haters’ hide ‘behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading false rumours’.
