FIFA President Gianni Infantino's delayed arrival from the Middle East postponed the annual meeting of FIFA's 211 member federations in Asuncion, Paraguay, causing it to begin over three hours late. Infantino cited flight issues and emphasized the importance of representing soccer in political discussions. National federation officials gathered for critical planning ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Paraguay's President Peña praised Infantino, highlighting his personal friendship, as Infantino chose to prioritize meetings with Trump over direct talks with FIFA voters, emphasizing strong ties with both Saudi Arabia and Qatar's leadership.
"As president of FIFA my responsibility is to make decisions in the interests of the organization," Infantino said. "I felt that I needed to be there to represent football and all of you."
Infantino apologized to his audience several times, citing issues with his flight for the delay and insisting it was important he represented soccer at the political meetings in the Middle East.
Officials from the national federations have gathered in Paraguay all week for one of their last major meetings before the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Paraguay President Santiago Peña was there to deliver his opening speech hours later than scheduled and praised Infantino as 'a personal friend and a friend of Paraguay.'
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