Infantino tells World Cup critics to ‘CHILL’—chaos grows

Infantino tells – Gianni Infantino delivered a defiant message to critics, urging them to “CHILL, relax” in a press conference ahead of the World Cup in the United States—while his tournament faces mounting anger over ticket costs, Iran’s travel restrictions, and the refusal of

Gianni Infantino sat on a dais outside Azteca Stadium on the eve of the World Cup’s start of a new day—Mexico preparing to face South Africa on Thursday—and chose his wording like he was trying to hold a storm back with a calm voice.

When he was pressed on the turmoil that has surrounded the tournament. Infantino told those objecting to its direction to “CHILL” and “relax.” He also spoke at length about Donald Trump and described their working relationship as something he credits for the World Cup being staged in the United States.

“I have a great relationship with President Trump,” Infantino said. “I’m very happy about that. I got to know him during his first mandate and we have been working very closely together now in this second term. Without his engagement and involvement. I think it would have been impossible to organise a World Cup in the United States. As simple as that.”.

But the questions kept coming, and Infantino’s answers were limited. He addressed only a handful of issues that have dogged the build-up: extortionate ticket prices. his subservience to President Trump. the travel conditions imposed on the Iran national team. and the exile of a Somalian referee. He batted them all back with sad smiles.

A closer look at the contrast has unsettled many observers. On the eve of the last World Cup in Qatar, Infantino said he felt Qatari. He said he felt Arabic, African, gay, disabled and like a migrant worker. This time. ahead of the World Cup in the United States. he did not say he felt much of anything at all.

One section of the room tried to read the performance through the language of politics. Some noticed Infantino had adopted rhetorical flourishes associated with Trump, including oratorical traits and speech mannerisms. Infantino did not, in his defence, shout at any female journalists.

The most specific exchange came when Infantino was asked about Iran. “Let me say that on Iran. I am very happy because I went to see the Iranian team in Turkey in March this year. ” he said. “People were saying Iran couldn’t come to the World Cup. I promised them they will come and if I have to go on a bus to Tehran and drive them here I will do that.”.

He then described Iran’s response. “Their answer was we will take the bus and drive ourselves if needs be. We qualified and we want to play. This is the spirit of football. There are challenges. it’s not easy. but I don’t know who else would have been able to ensure in these circumstances – which we could not influence – Iran could come and play.”.

The sport and the politics have, in practice, tangled together anyway. Infantino’s World Cup has been accompanied by gestures that many say only deepen the impression that football’s governing power is turning toward profit and proximity to power.

In the cause of the beautiful game and his own hold over it. Infantino awarded a hastily-initiated FIFA Peace Prize to President Donald Trump and wore a Maga-style red baseball hat at his bidding. The award came with a strapline. “Football Unites the World. ” and was created last December at the World Cup draw in Washington DC. with Trump made the first recipient. Trump was presented with a gold trophy and a medal. and the award was said to honour Trump’s diplomatic efforts in resolving conflicts.

The months that followed have left uncomfortable gaps between ceremony and reality. In the months between that award and the beginning of the World Cup. the US took military action in Venezuela. Nigeria and Iran. Trump also hinted at interventions in Greenland, Mexico and Colombia, and suggested the annexation of co-host Canada.

For Infantino, the anger has not waited for kickoff. Before a ball was kicked. the tournament endured a humiliating opening: on Saturday. Omar Artan—one of Africa’s leading referees—was denied entry to the USA when he arrived at Miami International Airport over “vetting concerns.” The US Customs and Border Protection would not elaborate on those concerns.

Artan was set to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after he had made FIFA’s final list for the tournament. He was named Africa’s best male referee last year and was questioned for 11 hours by border officials before being put on a flight to Istanbul. in Turkey. He was pictured returning to Somalia.

And Artan’s exclusion follows a wider travel refusal that has sparked protests across multiple countries. Fans and journalists from Iran, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Senegal and other countries were refused permission to travel to the USA. The travel ban led to protests from the International Sports Press Association. which wrote a letter of complaint to FIFA and has brought dismay at the betrayal of what is supposed to be a jamboree that welcomes all.

Even after qualification, Iran’s arrival has carried extra strain. After President Trump refused to guarantee the safety of the Iran national team in the USA, Iran moved its training base at the last minute from America to Tijuana, in Mexico, close to the border.

The Iran team will not be allowed to remain in the US overnight for any of its matches. They must travel in and out on the day of their games, with two matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. The claim from critics is that this is unprecedented and that it places Iran at a disadvantage.

Craig Foster. the former Australia skipper. put the matter bluntly: “This should obliterate the idea. that has still been somewhat prevalent in the world. of a separation between politics and sport. Unlike any other sporting tournament I can recall in modern times, this is a deeply politicised World Cup.”.

Outside sport’s boundaries, Mexico City’s own build-up to the tournament has also been edged by disruption. On Tuesday. anyone wanting to make their way to the Estadio Azteca on public transport was met by signs advising of the temporary closure of El Vergel. Estadio Azteca. and Huipulco light rail stations due to the actions of protesters blocking the line.

The front page headline of El Sol de Mexico on Tuesday warned of a “Megamanifestacion” at the start of the World Cup. The Mega Strike, it said, would include at least nine protests from human rights groups, students, teachers, and shopkeepers. It mentioned a planned demonstration by residents close to the Azteca and by women’s groups raising the issue of more than 130. 000 people who have disappeared during Mexico’s drug wars.

The schedule itself adds another layer. The World Cup is being played across three different nations with 48 teams and 104 matches. This format means a slow burn, and for some fans the sense of conflict has not come only from where the tournament is staged, but from how hard it is to reach.

Ticket prices have become a flashpoint, described here as extortionate. There has also been backlash over a late change: fans were banned from bringing reusable water bottles into venues, a move many believed was born from commercial reasons. The outcry was such that FIFA were forced to back down.

Yet the tournament is still projected to be a money-spinning behemoth. FIFA is estimated to make a record $9bn (£6.74bn) this year alone. with $2.7bn redistributed to national football associations over the next four years. Those figures—alongside the tournament’s commercial momentum—add pressure on Infantino heading into next year’s re-election bid. with increased chances of him winning a third re-election.

It is exactly that tension—between the money machine and the lived experience of supporters—that leaves many looking for redemption and deliverance, not just entertainment.

At the same time, for all the disquiet over ticket prices, Trump, ICE, Infantino, water bottles, transport costs, and the 48-team format, the belief among football people is that the players can still seize control of the narrative.

Because of the format, the World Cup may begin with friction. But rescue is framed here as arriving on the pitch. Lamine Yamal, Vitinha, Vinicius Jr, Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembele are among the names pointed to as capable of cutting through the noise.

Once the tournament enters the last 16, the expectation is that it becomes more enthralling. It is also described as one of the most open World Cups for decades. with no clear favourite to lift the trophy at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. There is no single player singled out as certain to dominate either the tournament or the race for the Golden Boot.

The old titans—Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—are still present, turning their “last” shot at the biggest prize into a parallel storyline. Messi won it in Qatar but Ronaldo’s elusive trophy remains the one last trophy that eludes him. Their duel has lasted into their middle age.

The teams in the frame are those expected to contend: Argentina, France, Spain, Brazil, Portugal and England. Spain are described as the most heavily favoured of the leading group. but their chances may hinge on whether Yamal is hampered by the hamstring injury he suffered playing for Barcelona six weeks ago.

Yamal and Kylian Mbappe are also framed as having a claim to being the world’s greatest player in a period where Messi and Ronaldo are in their footballing dotage. Kane’s case sits in the same conversation.

And for Brazil, the uncertainty is tied to whether Neymar Jr will be able to conjure the magic of yesteryear.

By the end, the argument running through this World Cup’s noise is simple: football’s kings are not the men in suits, but the men who play. The names listed as potential rescuers include Messi, Vitinha, Erling Haaland, Kane, Mo Salah, Mbappe and Sadio Mane.

When Infantino told critics to “CHILL” and “relax,” he was trying to steady the moment. The reality around the tournament—referees blocked at borders. Iran’s travel restrictions reshaping schedules. protests rattling transport and ticket anger rising—suggests the calm is harder to sustain than the message was to deliver.

Gianni Infantino FIFA World Cup 2026 Omar Artan Iran travel restrictions Donald Trump ticket prices Azteca Stadium Mexico City protests Messi Ronaldo Golden Boot