Infantino addresses a press conference in Mexico City

TDT | Manama

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the United States as a co-host of the 2026 World Cup and pushed back against concerns over visa issues affecting participants.

Speaking in Mexico City, he said FIFA would continue to assist players and officials facing travel difficulties but stressed it cannot override national immigration decisions. His comments followed the case of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States despite holding a valid visa. FIFA later removed him from its list of tournament officials. Infantino described the situation as “unfortunate” but said FIFA must respect government and border authority rulings, adding that the organisation often works behind the scenes to resolve such cases. He also rejected concerns about the United States’ suitability as a host alongside Canada and Mexico, saying FIFA had no doubts about staging the tournament across the three countries.

On ticket prices, he dismissed criticism and urged fans to “chill,” saying pricing is in line with major North American sporting events.