Gianni Infantino tells World Cup critics to ‘meditate and pray’

Gianni Infantino has accused World Cup critics of “spreading hate and false rumours” in a lengthy open letter attempting to justify Fifa’s handling of the event.

The Fifa president told critics to “take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray” after a tournament which sparked global headlines including investigations into ticket pricing, the introduction of hydration breaks and the denial of Somali referee Omar Artan’s visa.

Iran faced difficulties entering the United States amid the ongoing war between the two nations while Argentina celebrated victory over England with a banner about the Falkland Islands.

Infantino claimed there was “no violence, no incidents, 100 per cent safety and security, only joy and happiness” throughout the tournament.

One of the more controversial stories came when USA striker Folarin Balogun was given a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina which would rule him out of their last-16 clash with Belgium.

However, his one-match ban was suspended for 12 months after Donald Trump confirmed he personally asked Fifa president Infantino to “review” the red card.

In the open letter on the Fifa website, Infantino attempted to justify the decision and wrote: “Your dissatisfaction with a few decisions made by the competent authorities is understandable, but please refer to public records: such decisions are common in some of the most important leagues.

“Indeed, ‘arguable’ referees’ decisions or ‘strange’ disciplinary rulings such as for instance potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide.

“It’s curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones