TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that the World Cup had opened very successfully and exceeded his expectations after attending five matches in five stadiums in three host countries.
As reported by ANTARA, Infantino made the remarks in Miami on the opening day of the 2026 FIFA Football Executive Summit. Launched in 2016, the first year of Infantino's tenure as FIFA president, the summit provides a platform for FIFA leaders and representatives from member associations to discuss various programs, initiatives and policies.
This year's summit, which runs until June 17, includes sessions on the evolution of the FIFA Forward Program, youth competitions, FIFA's digital strategy and a range of other topics.
Infantino said he was delighted to see "a great atmosphere (and) full stadiums," with average attendances exceeding 63,000 across the opening eight matches.
Infantino also praised the quality of football on display, saying the tournament had highlighted the growing competitiveness of teams worldwide. The FIFA president cited Switzerland's 1-1 draw with Qatar at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium as an example.
"It is not one of the opening games in the host countries. Qatar vs. Switzerland in San Francisco: 68,000 spectators, packed stadium. It was really beautiful and a surprising result for some, for others not," he told the representatives of the member associations present.
"What I was positively surprised (at), as well, was the atmosphere - you see so many children, so many families coming to watch these games. This is maybe unusual for some football events, but it creates a very, very beautiful atmosphere," said Infantino.
"We had very peaceful environments, very festive environments, starting from Mexico City to all the other places. And this is what this World Cup is about," he said.
Read: Modric Says Croatia 'Not Afraid' of England Ahead of World Cup Clash
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