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The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has reacted sharply to a statement by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, made on Thursday, just hours before the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Infantino mocked the need to organize a tournament with 64 or even 208 teams, a comment that has been considered inappropriate in Italy.
In an official statement, the FIGC described the FIFA president's stance as an "inappropriate statement" and a "fall in style", stressing that his words had hurt the feelings of the Italian sports community.
" It was an inappropriate statement, a slip of the tongue that has hurt the feelings of an Italian sporting community. In victory or defeat, football teaches values, starting from respect ," the Italian Football Federation said in a statement.
The statement comes at a delicate moment for the Federation, as current president Gabriele Gravina remains in office until June 22, the date when new elections for the leadership of the institution will be held.
Earlier, Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi also reacted to Infantino's comments. He said he wanted to personally verify the context and content of the statement before giving a final position.
" It's one thing to have information and another thing to hear it directly. I prefer to first verify and then express myself. I think and hope that I will be able to communicate with Infantino, despite his commitments. I want to do this because I am interested in knowing directly what his opinion is ," Abodi declared.
The debate has brought attention back to the relationship between FIFA and Italian football, while reactions to Infantino's statement continue to cause discussion in the sports community.
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