FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has been accused of corruption after explicit footage emerged of “shameless” comments he made after one of the World Cup round of 16 matches. Football’s leader has found it difficult to stay out of the spotlight for too long this summer and his latest move may prove to be his most controversial yet.
Indeed, some of the other things he has done that have caused a storm include the flattering gesture of presenting US President Donald Trump with the first FIFA World Prize last December. Meanwhile, he introduced drinking breaks even in air-conditioned stadiums or those where there is heavy rain, and his organization also threatened to change the start times of a number of matches, including England’s trip to Mexico, before backing down just two days before the match.
Even with all of the above, it was still a magnificent spectacle, with Argentina, France and Spain considered the favorites for glory so far. However, all this could be for naught if speculation on social media that Infantino has already made up his mind about who he wants to beat turns out to be true.
Gianni Infantino misspoke: he is accused of “corruption”
During an interview with an Argentine journalist after Lionel Messi and co. Needing extra time to beat Cape Verde 3-2 on Friday night, Infantino appeared to betray his secret support for the 2022 winners. He said (see full excerpt below):
“I suffered from Argentina tonight… But I’m neutral.”
The 56-year-old’s realization that his words were likely to do no good to his already tarnished reputation, prompting him to retract his “shameless” comments, caused a huge stir on social media.
With many already leery of the fact that the world champions are being given the easiest route to the final, one user X wrote: “Seriously, what can be done to curb this ongoing corruption scandal?” a second added: “Incompetent. It’s a shame that the FIFA president is so biased. He needs to resign as soon as possible.”
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Lionel Messi accused of ‘cheating’ during Argentina v Cape Verde 3-2 thriller
The behavior of the football legend upset some fans.
Another continued: “How can anyone convince people that this organization does not support Messi when the president has openly stated his support for Argentina?” Meanwhile, a fourth remarked: “Imagine the outrage if he said that about Portugal,” while a fifth concluded: “Absolutely embarrassing, we should protest and boycott until he resigns.”
Argentina look good thanks to consistent World Cup success
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The supercomputer is currently predicting that France has the best chance of winning the World Cup, with Argentina close behind.
Given both countries’ path to the final, scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, it would not be a shock to see a repeat of the 2022 Qatar clash, where Messi achieved football immortality via a penalty shootout despite Kylian Mbappe scoring a hat-trick in normal time.
After other fans spotted the Inter Miami star, considered the greatest footballer of all time, trying to cheat from a free-kick in the latest win over Cape Verde, confidence is growing that FIFA wants Argentina to win again. But when you have Messi on your side, anything is possible.