2026 World Cup, France vs. Spain: A Barrage of Boos for Gianni Infantino
Not even in Dallas—deep in Texas, a region historically aligned with the U.S. Republican Party and, consequently, with Donald Trump over the past decade—do soccer fans seem willing to forgive Gianni Infantino. The FIFA president was in fact present in person for the 2026 World Cup semifinal between France and Spain, taking his seat in the stands at AT&T Stadium between Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, and Rafael Louzan, president of the Spanish Football Federation. However, the lingering controversy over Folarin Balogun’s rescinded suspension seems far from over, even for Americans. Featured on the stadium’s giant screens—the venue is technically located in Arlington—the head of world soccer was met with a barrage of boos from the rest of the crowd in the stadium.
After all, the Balogun case has left a deep mark throughout the tournament. After the FIFA Disciplinary Committee suspended the automatic suspension of the Monaco forward by applying Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code—an unprecedented move in World Cup history, which many observers believe came about following a phone call from Donald Trump to Infantino himself — the decision had opened a veritable Pandora’s box. Both England and France had announced their intention to file similar appeals, though with opposite outcomes: the Football Association saw any chance of challenging the two-match suspension imposed on defender Jarell Quansah rejected, while the French Football Federation failed to have Michael Olise’s yellow card from the match against Paraguay overturned. This unequal treatment had further fueled the controversy, with English fans particularly furious: “The competition has become a farce,” someone wrote on social media, while others spoke openly of a “scripted outcome.”
Sepp Blatter, Infantino’s predecessor as FIFA president, also judged him in the harshest terms: “Red cards aren’t overturned by political phone calls. They’re overturned by rules, evidence, and independent bodies. If a U.S. president intervenes with the FIFA president, and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match, the question is inevitable: Quo vadis, FIFA?” These words made headlines around the world and still echo today in the stands of AT&T Stadium, where the boos directed at the head of world soccer seem to prove the former Swiss executive right.
The criticism directed at Infantino, however, is not limited to the tournament’s disciplinary management. In fact, the FIFA president has fueled further controversy by openly declaring his intention to expand the World Cup to 64 teams, after the 2026 edition had already seen an increase from 32 to 48 participants. In an interview with the Swiss publication ‘Bluewin,’ Infantino explained: “Every nation should be able to dream of participating in the World Cup. It’s clear that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it continues to grow everywhere.” This statement, however, clashes with what we’ve seen on the field, where European national teams have dominated overwhelmingly: three of the four semifinalists — France, Spain, and England — come from the Old Continent, and for this very reason, UEFA and the European federations are ready to loudly demand an increase in the number of spots reserved for Europe in the 2030 World Cup, to be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
Against this backdrop of growing tensions surrounding Infantino, the boos in Arlington take on a significance that goes far beyond mere sports protest. What is unfolding in the stands of AT&T Stadium is a portrait of an increasingly isolated president, booed even in the heart of the nation that was supposed to consecrate his project for the global expansion of soccer.
