'Busy planting seeds of hate' — FIFA defends Trump-Balogun ruling and rebukes critics

FIFA has publicly defended its decision to back the Trump-Balogun ruling and issued a response to its critics. In a 900-word statement published across a 15-page post on his Instagram account and on FIFA’s website late Sunday, Infantino said FIFA had succeeded in staging the World Cup and bringing people together.

Gianni Infantino authored the long statement, which appeared both on his Instagram feed and on FIFA’s official site. The message ran to roughly 900 words and was broken into a 15-page Instagram post before being republished on the federation’s web pages late on Sunday. In it, Infantino addressed those who had criticised the organisation’s actions and defended FIFA’s stewardship of the tournament. He framed the response around FIFA’s role in delivering the World Cup and emphasised unity as a core outcome.

The federation’s rebuttal reiterated that staging the competition had been a success and that the event helped unite fans from many countries. The posting directly countered the critics who had questioned the decision, presenting FIFA’s perspective in extended form. By publishing the statement across social and official channels, the organisation ensured the text reached both followers of Infantino’s personal account and the broader FIFA audience.

Details within the statement centred on FIFA’s position that the governing body fulfilled its responsibilities for the World Cup. The timing of the release, late on Sunday, followed a period of public debate, and the document served as a formal response from the president. The 15-page Instagram format provided a visual sequence to accompany the written arguments made on the federation’s website.

FIFA’s communication sought to defend the Trump-Balogun decision while pushing back against detractors who had criticised the organisation’s conduct. Infantino’s extended remarks were presented as a comprehensive justification for FIFA’s choices related to the tournament.

The statement closes the immediate public rebuttal from FIFA and leaves the federation’s position on the contested decision on the record. By publishing the lengthy explanation across platforms, FIFA made clear the organisation’s view that the World Cup was successfully delivered and served to bring people together.