The FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA is in its final stages, but a storm is brewing across the pond. Fans have taken to the streets to protest against FIFA in Switzerland, claiming that “Football belongs to the fans,” with many calling for the resignation of FIFA’s president, a Swiss national himself
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Barras Del Mundo, an independent journalist, reported on X that the protests that have been ongoing since the FIFA World Cup started have only intensified. “The protesters demonstrated against the commercialization of sports, institutional corruption, refereeing decisions, match schedules, and the modern business models imposed by FIFA,” they wrote.
Adding that the protests were aimed at FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, they attached a video which showed fans marching on the streets with banners. The protestors were chanting “Against modern FIFA,” “Stop FIFA corruption,” “Infantino out!” and “Football belongs to the fans,” throughout the protest.
FIFA has been marred by controversies for many years. Financial irregularities were found when Russia and Qatar were awarded the hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively. Subsequent investigations led to the resignation of Sepp Blatter, the former president. Infantino took over the reins from Blatter, but the controversies never went away.
When FIFA presented the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the World Cup draw to the US President Donald Trump, many eyebrows were raised. It was the mere start of never-ending controversies that unfolded throughout the tournament.
Algeria launched an official complaint to FIFA after the first matchday, stating that they were refereed differently as Lionel Messi avoided a red card despite tackling Aissa Mandi high on his heels. Similar sentiments were seen throughout the tournament as big teams avoided harsh calls. England’s Ezri Konsa avoided giving away a penalty to Ghana despite a poor tackle from behind in the box.
However, all the incidents were dwarfed when Infantino admitted that after receiving calls from President Trump, FIFA decided to rescind the USMNT star Folarin Balogun’s red card. After being suspended for the knockout clash against Belgium, the world body decided to withhold his suspension and allowed him to play.
It was the breaking point for fans who were already enraged at the number of controversial calls at the tournament. Political intervention was something FIFA always distanced itself from.
Almost every game in the knockout had a talking point from a refereeing standpoint, leading to questions about the neutrality of the game.
Fans around the world have always been vocal online about the wrongdoings in FIFA, but the anger has now transformed into on-the-street protests. If the world body does not heed its fanbase, things could take an ugly turn.
