During Spain’s dominant win over Austria, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was shown on screen and heavily booed by fans present at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
23:49 ET, July 02, 2026Updated 11:49 PM ET, July 2, 2026
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was in the penalty area watching Spain’s match against Austria (Image: Getty Images)
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was heavily booed when he was shown on screen during Spain’s victory over Austria.
Spain recorded a dominant 3-0 win over Austria on Thursday, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice – either side of Pedro Porro’s header – to advance to the last 16 of the World Cup. The Spanish fans in Los Angeles had a lot to cheer for, including their love for Lamin Yamal, but there was a point when their support turned into ridicule.
The ridicule had nothing to do with what was happening on the field. In the stands, Infantino sat and talked to guests as he was shown on the big screen, drawing loud cheers from the crowd. It comes after angry spectators claimed the tournament was “rigged” for Cristiano Ronaldo after a huge controversy erupted.
Infantino has been at the center of drama throughout the build-up to the World Cup alongside Donald Trump. The United States, along with Israel, launched strikes on Iran, meaning the tournament marked the first time a country would enter a World Cup while actively involved in a conflict with the host nation.
The Iranian team was mistreated throughout the World Cup, with Infantino blamed for failing to intervene.
They were forced to move their training facility from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, while the team was only allowed into the United States one day before the first two matches in Los Angeles and two days before the final game in Seattle.
Iran was also forced to return to Mexico immediately after each match, and employees were denied visas to enter the United States. On the field, Iran narrowly missed out on one of the eight third places and qualified for the playoffs.
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Gianni Infantino was booed when he was shown on the big screen at the stadium (Image: Reddit)
On top of this, Infantino was also accused of outrageously high ticket prices, which resulted in large numbers of tickets either not being sold or being given away for free before kick-off. He is considered public enemy No. 1. He took first place in FIFA and the World Cup, and Spanish and Austrian fans tried to show their fury.
Infantino was also booed during the opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca before Mexico’s victory over South Africa.
This represents a warning for Trump, who has been booed several times at major sporting events. Most notably, in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, when he attended the New York Knicks’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Trump became the first sitting president to attend the NBA Finals, and his decision drew loud cheers when it was shown on the Jumbotron. The 80-year-old tried to soften the backlash by editing applause and “USA” chants instead of booing in a video released by the White House.