The comments follow the exclusion of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry to the United States due to alleged associations with terror-linked groups. Infantino urged critics to exercise patience, framing the incident as a byproduct of sovereign legal processes that remain outside the reach of football officials. He maintained that FIFA is working within its available channels to resolve such barriers, though he stopped short of demanding policy shifts from the U.S. government.
To illustrate the organization’s diplomatic reach, the FIFA chief pointed to the inclusion of Iran in the tournament roster despite persistent political volatility between Washington and Tehran. Beyond border disputes, Infantino also dismissed mounting scrutiny over World Cup ticket pricing models, expressing confidence that current strategies will remain effective despite ongoing investigations into their impact on fan access.
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