By Kazeem Ajibola Shoyebo
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has come under criticism from English football supporters after making a controversial comment during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Infantino, addressing concerns about the upcoming 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, made light-hearted remarks about the behaviour of fans at previous tournaments. He said that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was “really special” because, for the first time in history, “no British fans were arrested” during the event. Speaking to an audience of global leaders and business figures, he described this as a positive sign of improved fan conduct.
However, his comments were met with a sharp response from the Football Supporters Association (FSA), a fan group representing supporters in England and Wales. The association said that Infantino should focus his attention on addressing high ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup instead of making “cheap jokes” about British fans.
The FSA’s response highlighted ongoing frustration among supporters over the cost of attending matches. Ticket prices for the 2026 tournament have drawn widespread criticism, with only a small proportion of seats made available at lower price points and the majority of tickets, especially for later stages, priced at significantly higher levels.
Infantino also used his Davos speech to defend FIFA’s pricing strategy, acknowledging that “the tickets are not cheap” and noting that criticism had come from several countries including Germany and England. He pointed to exceptionally high demand for 2026 World Cup tickets, with FIFA reporting **more than 500 million requests** during the latest application window. Despite criticism, he predicted that “every match will be sold out.”
The exchange between Infantino and the FSA underscores the broader tension surrounding the accessibility of major sporting events and the challenge football’s governing bodies face in balancing commercial interests with fan affordability. The debate is likely to continue as preparations for the 2026 World Cup progress.
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