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FIFA President Infantino Acknowledges World Cup Scale, Addresses Key Challenges
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Sports

FIFA President Infantino Acknowledges World Cup Scale, Addresses Key Challenges

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed the media ahead of the 2026 World Cup, acknowledging the event's immense scale and complexity.
  • He highlighted challenges such as the situation in Iran, ticketing issues, and visa problems, while emphasizing the difficulty of achieving absolute perfection in organizing such a massive tournament.
  • Infantino also expressed hope for the release of a journalist imprisoned in Algeria and thanked various stakeholders involved in the event's preparation.

As the 2026 World Cup approaches, FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with the press in Mexico City, adopting a notably modest tone while acknowledging the monumental task of organizing the tournament. Facing questions about contentious issues, Infantino preemptively listed "Iran, tickets, and visas" as key challenges.

Today, I feel Qatari, today, I feel Arab, today, I feel African, today I feel homosexual, today I feel disabled, today I feel a migrant.

— Gianni InfantinoRecalling a previous statement made by Infantino in November 2022, before the Qatar World Cup.

Infantino stressed the unprecedented scale of the event, involving 48 countries, 500 official sites, an estimated 6.5 to 7 million spectators, 300,000 accredited individuals, and 5,000 FIFA employees. He described it as potentially "the greatest event in the history of humanity," arguing that such magnitude necessitates a degree of humility.

Today, I feel Qatari, today, I feel Arab, today, I feel African, today I feel homosexual, today I feel disabled, today I feel a migrant.

— Gianni InfantinoRecalling a previous statement made by Infantino in November 2022, before the Qatar World Cup.

"It is of course not possible to organize an event of this magnitude with absolute perfection. We are confronted with challenges, sometimes we solve them, sometimes not," Infantino stated, suggesting that perfection is an unattainable goal given the event's scope. He pointed to the participation of Iran as a success, even if the logistical arrangements, requiring the team to shuttle between Mexico and the United States, are "not perfect."

It is of course not possible to organize an event of this magnitude with absolute perfection. We are confronted with challenges, sometimes we solve them, sometimes not.

— Gianni InfantinoFIFA President addressing the inherent difficulties in organizing the 2026 World Cup.

Beyond the operational challenges, Infantino also appealed for the release of Christophe Gleizes, a journalist he identified as the "only sports journalist currently imprisoned in the world." Gleizes was reportedly detained in Algeria after a report on football in Kabylie was deemed by the government as "apology for terrorism." Infantino expressed hope for a presidential pardon, allowing Gleizes to attend the World Cup.

I hope that in a great act of humanity, he will be granted a presidential pardon and that he can even join us during the World Cup.

— Gianni InfantinoFIFA President expressing hope for the release of imprisoned journalist Christophe Gleizes.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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