FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing fresh criticism after a private letter to Argentina’s football federation was leaked to the press one that heaped praise on a team currently under investigation for its own governing body.
Argentina’s World Cup final ended not with celebration but with chaos. Spain won 1-0 courtesy of a Ferran Torres extra-time strike, but the story afterward became Argentina’s conduct. Leandro Paredes appeared to grab Eric García by the throat and shoved Gavi to the ground, while Nahuel Molina reportedly threw a punch at Spain captain Rodri. Much of the Argentina camp then turned their backs as Rodri lifted the trophy. FIFA has since opened a disciplinary case, appointing a prosecutor under Article 36 of its Disciplinary Code to examine “offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play.”
None of that stopped Infantino from writing to Argentine FA president Claudio Tapia with what read like a victory letter for the losing side.“I would like to reiterate my most sincere congratulations for this important new result for Argentine soccer,” Infantino wrote, later verified by the Daily Mail. He praised the tournament’s “spectacular matches” and credited Argentina’s “magnificent performance” with helping make the World Cup “an exceptional event.” He asked Tapia to pass on his congratulations to the players, to coach Lionel Scaloni, and to the medical and coaching staff — crediting their “constant work, professionalism and attention to detail.”
The letter made no mention of the brawl. No mention of the disciplinary case. No mention, either, of the “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” banner Argentina’s players unfurled after their semifinal win, a message FIFA itself has taken a hard line against when it comes to political statements on the pitch.
A Pattern FIFA Can’t Seem To Shake
This isn’t the first time Infantino’s relationship with Argentina has drawn scrutiny this tournament. At the World Cup draw, Scaloni was made to wear white gloves while holding the trophy on stage, a moment Infantino publicly called an “outrage” and personally apologized for the next day, arranging a do-over so Scaloni could lift the cup bare-handed.
Then there’s Messi. Throughout the tournament, referee chief Pierluigi Collina was repeatedly pressed on whether Argentina and Messi were receiving favorable treatment from officials, allegations he firmly denied. During the final itself, Messi was seen trying to get Spain’s Marc Cucurella booked under a new rule concerning covering one’s mouth on the pitch.
A petition calling for Argentina to be banned from future tournaments has reportedly gathered more than 23 million signatures. Argentina president Javier Milei, for his part, offered little contrition, saying: “The problem with Argentina is that we stand out. We don’t go unnoticed, people are jealous of us.”
FIFA has not said when its investigation will conclude, only that “further details will be communicated… once the prosecutor’s report has been completed.”
Whether any of this amounts to actual favoritism from world football’s governing body is a question that’s been asked all tournament and answered by no one. But for an organization already fighting perception problems, a warm, unprompted letter to a team it’s simultaneously investigating is not going to make that question go away.
From the gloves apology to Collina’s denials to a congratulatory letter sent mid-investigation, Infantino keeps finding new ways to feed the same narrative — so at what point does a pattern like this stop being a coincidence?
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