‘You were so consumed by hate’ - Infantino lashes out at critics, who accused FIFA of corruption

The tournament was plagued by significant travel problems, as stringent US visa restrictions prevented fans and officials from nations like Iran, Haiti, Senegal, and Ivory Coast from attending. 

Somali referee Omar Artan was notably denied entry to officiate. Infantino, however, downplayed these incidents, highlighting the 7 million fans from over 200 countries who did attend.

Also, one of the most contentious episodes of the World Cup involved US striker Folarin Balogun, whose automatic one-match suspension for a red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina was controversially overturned. 

In a defiant and lengthy statement, the head of world football's governing body defended the tournament's legacy and advised his detractors to "meditate or pray" rather than spread negativity.

Using his personal Instagram account and official FIFA channels, he delivered a sharp rebuke to journalists and commentators who had questioned the logistics and integrity of the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

"To all of you who missed watching kids, babies, grandparents, and parents come together for the beautiful game, I say sorry that the matches are now over and sorry that you missed all that joy and togetherness," Infantino wrote. 

"Sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all." He continued by contrasting the work of FIFA with that of its critics: 

"To those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours, I want to say that while you are sitting behind, we at FIFA are on the front lines organising, working hard, and delivering the best show in the world."