FIFA president Gianni Infantino has issued an apology for remarks concerning British football fans. He made the comments last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, joking that "for the first time in history no Brit was arrested" during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Football Supporters' Association criticised the comments as a "cheap" joke. Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the UK's football policing lead, also deemed them "neither helpful nor accurate".
Speaking to Sky News, Infantino stated the remark was "light-hearted", intended to highlight the Qatar World Cup as a "peaceful event". He clarified he is a "huge fan of English football" and was wrong to label those who "riot around the world" as fans, instead calling them "criminals". Infantino also apologised to fans from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, saying he did not intend to offend them.
