Infantino apologises for England fan joke but doubles down on Trump peace award

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has apologised to British supporters for a remark he made at the World Economic Forum in Davos about arrests at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while also defending FIFA’s decision to present US President Donald Trump with the organisation’s inaugural peace prize. Infantino drew criticism last month after joking in Davos: “For the first time in history… no Brit was arrested during a World Cup. Imagine!This is something really really special.” Infantino made the apology and defended the Trump award in an interview with Sky News and said: “It was meant to be more of a light heartened remark, to show that the World Cup in Qatar was a celebration, it was a peaceful event.” He apologised to supporters from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, adding that offending them “was not my intention.” Infantino also said he had been wrong to refer to people who “just go and riot around the world” at matches as fans, describing them instead as “criminals.” The apology came in a wider defence of his approach to football’s role in global politics, with Infantino arguing that bans and boycotts harden divisions rather than solve them. “I’m against bans, I’m against boycotts as well. I think they don’t bring anything… they just contribute to… more hatred.” Infantino also pushed back on calls from some quarters for a World Cup boycott over concerns about US immigration policy and safety around the 2026 tournament. He argued that other areas of international life are not subjected to the same test. “Is anyone proposing that the UK should be stopping doing commerce with the US?I didn’t hear that. So why football? Why football?” FIFA’s peace prize decision has become a focal point for those broader criticisms.Infantino acknowledged there had been a “strong reaction” to the award, but insisted it was consistent with FIFA’s message that football can be a convening force. “So, whatever we can do to help peace in the world, we should be doing it, and for this reason, for some time we were thinking about [whether] we should do something to reward people who do something.” Infantino said Trump was the right recipient. “Objectively, he deserves that prize. He was instrumental in resolving conflicts and saving lives and saving thousands of lives. “To me, there is nothing more important than… stopping killing and stopping this kind of suffering.” At the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington in December 2025, FIFA presented Trump with the trophy and framed the moment as part of its 'Football Unites the World' campaign. “This is what we want from a leader; A leader that cares about the people. We want to live in a safe world, in a safe environment.We want to unite – that’s what we do here today, that’s what we’ll do at the (FIFA) World Cup, Mr President,” Infantino said at the ceremony. Infantino’s stance on bans extended to Russia, which has been excluded from FIFA and UEFA competitions since 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine. He argued FIFA should revisit the approach, at least at youth level. “Oh, definitely. We have to. Yes… at least at youth level. This ban has not achieved anything. It has just created more frustration, and hatred.” He also rejected the principle of banning national teams for the actions of political leaders and argued FIFA should consider changing its rules to avoid that outcome in future. “Somebody needs to keep the ties open,” Infantino said, setting out a position that football should preserve contact where formal diplomacy breaks down. On the question of how FIFA engages with countries criticised for restricting women and girls, Infantino presented “engaging” as his preferred mechanism, arguing change takes time and direct access matters more than isolation. “These are things that take years… you don’t achieve this with threats or sanctions. You achieve this by engaging.” He cited Iran as an example of behind-the-scenes work, saying he met senior figures and made the case “in a respectful way, without shouting and screaming” for women’s football.He made a similar argument about North Korea, describing a decision to go to Pyongyang and speak directly with officials, while pointing to North Korean success in FIFA youth competitions. “And similarly, in North Korea, if you listen again to all our experts here, you shouldn’t have any relations with North Korea. I went to Pyongyang. I spoke to the regime. We spoke to them. And now we have these North Korean girls who are world champions in our youth categories.” Infantino also referenced FIFA’s role in helping women players leave Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power, describing that work as a moral imperative. “It was and it is the right thing to do.”