Gianni Infantino has defended FIFA’s management of the 2026 World Cup, imploring critics to turn their attention to football rather than to what he termed “hate and false rumours” surrounding his leadership and the tournament.

In a lengthy Instagram post later shared by FIFA's official account, the FIFA president addressed what he called persistent criticism from journalists, commentators and online users. "The greatest event on earth," he said, arguing that FIFA had delivered on this while critics remained focused on negativity.

Infantino hailed the expanded World Cup as a celebration of global unity, calling it an event of “joy and happiness.” He also claimed that the tournament had “100% safety and security.”

His remarks come amid a series of controversies that emerged before and during the competition.

Among them were travel and visa issues with Iran’s national team, which qualified for the tournament amid ongoing political tensions between Iran and co-host the United States. Infantino said FIFA had worked to ensure Iran’s participation without incident and called it an example of football bringing people together.

But Iran boss Amir Ghalenoei later said his side was the "most oppressed" team at the tournament. Members of the Iranian delegation and support staff were reportedly impacted by visa delays, and several members of the delegation were refused entry into the United States. Logistical challenges also saw the team move its training base from Arizona to Mexico, and it was later restricted from travelling between matches.

Other players in the tournament had similar problems. Travel restrictions by the U.S. impacted supporters from Haiti, Senegal and Ivory Coast, and Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry despite possessing a diplomatic passport and a valid U.S. visa.

In response to the concerns, Infantino said that isolated visa rejections should not be allowed to obscure the millions of successful entries during the tournament.

“We’ve worked tirelessly to bring people together through football,” he wrote. The competition, he added, demonstrated football's power to unite fans around the world.

Infantino also brushed off criticism over tournament security, saying there had been “zero incidents” of violence.

That assessment has been called into question after several investigations were launched in the wake of the tournament. FIFA is looking into a fracas involving Argentinian players and coaching staff following the World Cup final against Spain. It is also investigating claims of racist abuse aimed at online personality IShowSpeed. Supporters were also arrested after several games, including England's semi-final against Argentina in Atlanta.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at stadiums also faced criticism from some fans and rights groups.

Officiating decisions were another flashpoint for controversy. Questions have been raised after United States forward Folarin Balogun was allowed to play in the round-of-16 match despite receiving a red card earlier in the tournament. He had been automatically suspended for one game, a punishment that was lifted after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened, sparking claims of political interference.

The decision was “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable,” UEFA said, while the Norwegian Football Federation said it would consider filing a complaint with FIFA’s Ethics Committee.

Infantino dismissed the concerns, saying such disciplinary action is common in domestic football leagues around the world.

Separately, the International Olympic Committee said it would not investigate Infantino over allegations concerning political neutrality, adding that complaints submitted by the human rights organisation FairSquare were outside the jurisdiction of its ethics commission.

Infantino finished his message by telling critics to “show some love” and enjoy the positive moments of the tournament.

"To all those that put their time and energy into hating us, please stop for a moment, reflect, meditate, pray or watch a football match," he wrote.

He added that football continues to be uniquely able to bring together people of all nationalities and all backgrounds, saying he was proud of FIFA’s role in staging the tournament.