World Cup: Infantino takes away FIFA's responsibility for visa review
The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino came out in defense of the organization's actions in the face of recent controversies involving visas for World Cup participants.
In an interview given on the eve of the opening of the tournament, the director stated that the organization is working to resolve pending issues related to immigration, but highlighted that the final decisions belong to the national authorities.
The statement comes amid the repercussion of the case of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry into the United States despite having a valid visa. The episode raised questions about the migratory challenges faced by participants in the competition, held jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
According to Infantino, FIFA maintains constant dialogue with the authorities to resolve problems of this nature, but recognizes that the entity does not have the authority to interfere in countries' sovereign decisions.
"We always try to find solutions. Sometimes, immediately starting to shout and complain has the opposite effect and makes it difficult to find a solution," he said.
When asked about the criticism related to the granting of visas and the choice of the United States as one of the World Cup hosts, the FIFA president ruled out any regrets. For him, logistical and bureaucratic challenges are natural in an event on a global scale.
"There are problems; this is normal in an event of this magnitude. Some arise in the United States, others in Canada, others in Mexico. We deal with them all", he declared.
The director also used Iran's participation in the competition as an example of FIFA's efforts to overcome political and diplomatic obstacles. According to Infantino, there were doubts about the presence of the Iranian team due to the international geopolitical scenario, but the organization worked to guarantee its participation.
"People said Iran couldn't come to the World Cup. I promised them they would come," he said.
For the president, Iran's presence in the tournament reinforces the role of football as an instrument of rapprochement between peoples and cultures, even in times of international tension. The message of unity was one of the central themes of his speech on the eve of the start of the competition.
Infantino argued that the World Cup represents an opportunity to bring together people of different nationalities around sport, highlighting that the tournament can serve as a space for coexistence and celebration in a global scenario marked by conflicts and uncertainties.
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Source: CNN