Comedian Michael McIntyre opened up about his awkward meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino at a World Cup 2026 match
Comedian and football fan Michael McIntyre has shared details of his meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino at a recent World Cup match. The 2026 edition of the tournament is drawing to a close in North America, with the quarter-final stage almost wrapped up.
England are taking on Norway, hoping to secure a spot in the semi-finals where they could face either Argentina or Switzerland.
However, the World Cup has been surrounded by controversy, sparked by FIFA’s decision to lift the ban imposed on United States striker Folarin Balogun following his earlier red card in the tournament.
Despite Balogun being dismissed in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, he was allowed to participate in the USA’s subsequent game against Belgium, with US President Donald Trump admitting he intervened on behalf of his country. This decision has sparked outrage and has been met with widespread disapproval within the football world.
Balogun was in the starting line-up for the co-hosts’ World Cup match as the USA suffered a 4-1 defeat to Belgium in the last-16 tie in Seattle earlier this week.
McIntyre was a guest on the Rest is Football show on Netflix, joining host Gary Lineker and ex-Chelsea star Joe Cole.
Lineker quizzed McIntyre about his interaction with Infantino at a recent World Cup fixture.
“I was with some people, and I can’t deny, it was a good ticket, I was very fortunate,” McIntyre said.
“And then one of the nice people I was with said, ‘Gianni’s coming in’, and I didn’t know who that was. But then Infantino was there.”
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Lineker then asked McIntyre about whether the comedian had appealed to Infantino to reverse the suspension given to England defender Jarell Quansah, who was sent off in the 3-2 triumph over Mexico in the last-16.
McIntyre then went on: “I actually said one word, and I don’t know if it even is a word. I just shook his hand and said, ‘FIFA’.
“I was going to build to something. My brain was going, ‘What do I say?’ FIFA was the subject of the email, but I never got to the contents; I just said ‘FIFA’.”