FIFA President Gianni Infantino Tells Critics to ‘Chill’ as 2026 World Cup Visa Chaos Erupts, Igniting Global Backlash

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has doubled down on his trademark “chill, relax” mantra just hours before the 2026 World Cup kicks off, brushing aside a wave of visa disputes, ticket-price probes and human-rights critiques that threaten to overshadow the tournament’s opening whistle. Speaking inside Mexico City’s historic Azteca Stadium, Infantino dismissed the U.S. government’s refusal to grant entry to Somali referee Omar Artan—and the interrogation of Iraq striker Aymen Hussein—as merely “unfortunate” administrative snags. Asked whether FIFA should confront Washington over immigration hurdles that have also forced Iran’s squad to relocate its base camp from Los Angeles to Mexico, the Swiss-Italian lawyer insisted that football’s world governing body “can’t control everything,” urging fans and media alike to “chill, relax” and focus on the pitch instead. Critics say the laissez-faire stance underscores a wider perception that FIFA has ceded control of its flagship event to host-nation politics. The Independent reports that Infantino’s relaxed tone came despite mounting legal pressure in California, New York, New Jersey and Texas, where attorneys-general are investigating whether FIFA artificially inflated World Cup ticket prices for North American consumers. Infantino countered that “demand has been unprecedented—by a factor of ten,” framing high prices as market reality rather than corporate greed. Yet supporters’ groups from Canada, Mexico and the United States argue that nose-bleed seats topping $400 contradict FIFA’s mission to make the “biggest World Cup ever” accessible to everyday fans. The visa saga, meanwhile, has fueled fresh scrutiny of FIFA’s decision to stage a 48-team mega-event across three nations with divergent entry rules. Iran’s supporters had thousands of tickets voided by U.S. authorities before the country negotiated a 24-hour in-and-out travel waiver for its Los Angeles, Dallas and New York group matches. African football officials are furious that CAF’s top referee will now watch the tournament from Mogadishu after an 11-hour grilling at Miami International Airport. Infantino insists none of this jeopardizes FIFA’s promise of a “historic festival of football” spanning 16 host cities from Vancouver to Monterrey to Miami. He credits former U.S. President Donald Trump—now 79—for clearing bureaucratic roadblocks, saying the event “would have been impossible” without White House backing. Still, governance experts note that the president’s remarks echo controversies that marred the 2018 and 2022 editions, when FIFA’s leadership faced allegations of sportswashing. Amnesty International has already called on Infantino to leverage his influence to safeguard press freedom and labor protections in U.S. stadium construction sites, warning that “chill, relax” is not a compliance strategy. For now, attention turns to Thursday night’s curtain-raiser: hosts Mexico versus South Africa under Azteca’s floodlights. Whether Infantino’s call for calm quells the off-field storm—or merely stiffens critics’ resolve—will shape the narrative of a World Cup designed to set attendance and revenue records. One certainty remains: the FIFA President is betting that dazzling football can silence the noise.