FIFA President Gianni Infantino has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding Somalian referee Omar Artan, issuing a carefully measured statement that sought to draw a clear boundary between the responsibilities of world football’s governing body and the sovereign conduct of countries.
Speaking on the matter, Infantino acknowledged the difficulty of the situation while underlining the limitations of FIFA’s remit, stressing that the organisation does not possess the authority to govern the internal security apparatuses of its member countries.
We do not control everything that happens in the world. We do not control countries or their security apparatus. We operate on the sporting side, we are a sports organization. We strive to unite the world and work towards finding solutions to all the problems that occur.” – Gianni Infantino, FIFA President
The statement arrives amid heightened scrutiny of FIFA’s relationship with Iran ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a tournament in which the Islamic Republic has secured participation following a qualification campaign. Infantino in his remarks said that football must remain a vehicle for diplomacy and unity, even when the political environment around it grows contentious.
Speaking about Iran’s qualification, Infantino sounded more positive and emotional. He said he was happy to see Iran at the World Cup and recalled promising Iranian football officials that he was even ready to travel to Tehran by bus if that was what it took to help ensure their participation.
I am happy to see Iran in the World Cup. I promised them before that I was ready to go to Tehran by bus just to bring them to the tournament, and today they are participants. This is the spirit of football. I want you all to focus on the football.”- Gianni Infantino, FIFA President