Infantino’s spin can’t hide the hypocrisy of a shameless Fifa

“JUST, you know, relax and chill?” Fifa president Gianni Infantino said, straight-faced and without any sense of irony or embarrassment.

- MORGAN BOLTON

The question was levelled at Infantino to answer, or perhaps even condemn, the banning of Somali referee Omar Artan, from the US. Artan applied for his US visa in Kenya, was vetted there by the US embassy, and was cleared to travel to the Fifa World Cup 2026 as one of their match officials.

Upon landing in the US, however, Artan was held and questioned for 11 hours, only to be sent packing back from whence he came. According to the US State Department, he had ties to terrorists. If that is true, then Artan has been playing the long con after becoming a match referee in 2018, before working through a Fifa licence to officiate for the organisation, and eventually becoming CAF Referee of the Year.

Iran, meanwhile, are not allowed to remain overnight in the US, despite playing all their group games on the western seaboard.

It might as be a plot point from Homeland.

“In line with previous Fifa events,” Infantino added, “a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

BREAK POINT

Except that is a bold-faced lie. Or at least a brazen untruth.