FIFA boss Gianni Infantino ‘dismayed’ at criticism for posing for a selfie near Pele’s open casket

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has taken a swipe at his critics, claiming he is ‘dismayed’ at criticism being levelled at him after he took a selfie near Pele’s open casket. 

The FIFA boss was in Santos to pay respects to the Brazilian icon, who died last Thursday at the age of 82 following a long battle with cancer.  

Infantino was seen taking a selfie with a group, drawing global criticism and for the first time he has now hit back, claiming he was doing a favour for some of Pele’s old team-mates who struggled to master taking a selfie photograph. 

Gianni Infantino has responded to those who criticised him for taking a selfie near Pele’s open casket during his time in Brazil, as he travelled to pay his respects to the footballing icon

Infantino (left) appeared to take a selfie next to the open casket but has now spoken out

‘I am dismayed after having been informed that I am apparently being criticised by some people for having taken a selfie and pictures at the ceremony yesterday,’ Infantino wrote on Instagram.

‘In the case of the selfie, Pelé’s team-mates asked to do a selfie of all of us together but they didn’t know how to do it. 

‘So, to be helpful, I took the phone of one of them and took the photo of all of us for him.

‘If being helpful to a teammate of Pelé creates criticism I’m happy to take it and will continue to be helpful wherever I can to those having contributed to write legendary pages of football.’

Infantino (left) posted this image along with his statement, calling on his critics to apologise, as he was helping, he claims, some of Pele’s former team-mates, who struggled with a selfie

Rather than stop there Infantino then called on his critics to come out and apologise for their remarks. 

‘I hope that those who published or said things without knowing and without seeking information could have the decency and courage to admit they were wrong and correct what they said,’ he added.

Thousands of mourners, including Pele’s wife and brother, passed through the Vila Belmiro, home to Pele’s longtime club Santos, where the open casket bearing ‘The King’ was displayed on a temporary structure in the centre of the pitch.

It was there, next to Pele’s coffin, that Infantino stopped to take a selfie with a group of men – including former Santos player Manoel Maria – feet away from the body of the late football legend.

Pictured: Infantino stops to take a selfie with a group, a matter of feet from Pele’s casket 

Pele’s sister could be seen in the same picture, as the FIFA president held out a mobile phone to take a selfie with the man. 

In a second photo, another man stopped to take a selfie with Infantino and the men who the FIFA chief had been seen taking a photo with before. 

As he stood near the casket, Infantino was also seen consoling Pele’s widow Marcia Aoki and his son Edinho, while shaking hands with others standing under the awning.

Attending the 24-hour wake along with the heads of the South American and Brazilian football confederations, Infantino was among the first to pay homage.

Infantino has been accused in recent months of wanting to be at the centre of attention. Ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the FIFA president left fans astonished with a bizarre speech.

As he stood near the casket, Infantino was also seen consoling Pele’s widow Marcia Aoki (right) and his son Edinho, while shaking hands with others standing under the awning

Infantino (right) greets the son of Brazilian football legend Pele, Edinho (left), during his wake at the Urbano Caldeira stadium in Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil on January 2

Infantino was in the city of Santos to pay his final respects to the player widely considered to be the greatest of all time, who died Thursday at the age of 82

The game’s global governing body had been attacked for its decision to take the finals to Qatar, where the treatment of migrant workers and the rights of LGBTQ+ people have heavily criticised.

In his 90-minute speech, the president likened his own experience as a red-headed child to that of gay and disabled people in a press conference.

Infantino said: ‘Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arabic. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel (like) a migrant worker. Of course I am not Qatari, I am not an Arab, I am not African, I am not gay, I am not disabled.

‘But I feel like it, because I know what it means to be discriminated, to be bullied, as a foreigner in a foreign country. As a child I was bullied – because I had red hair and freckles, plus I was Italian so imagine.’

He was also criticised for his actions during the trophy ceremony at the final of the World Cup tournament on December 18, which saw Argentina best France.

Before Argentina’s talisman Lionel Messi was handed the trophy, he was draped in a black robe or bisht – a traditional Qatari garment. Infantino then slowly led Messi towards the trophy, and then down the stage towards his teammates.

This led BBC pundit Alan Shearer to joke: ‘I didn’t think Infantino was going to let him go either,’ before Gary Lineker added: ‘Nobody marked him [Messi] that tightly during the game!’

Furthermore, after the World Cup, Infantino was met with ridicule and outrage on social media after a video re-surfaced of FIFA president visiting Salt Bae’s restaurant in Dubai last year, in the wake of the celebrity chef’s World Cup final antics.

Questions have been raised as to why the celebrity chef was allowed onto the pitch as Argentina players celebrated their World Cup triumph. 

Infantino has been accused in recent months of wanting to be at the centre of attention. Before Argentina’s talisman Lionel Messi was handed the trophy having won the World Cup, he was draped in a black robe or bisht – a traditional Qatari garment . Infantino then slowly led Messi towards the trophy, and then down the stage towards his teammates

As the wake of Pele continued on Monday, Infantino announced FIFA will ask all the world’s countries to name a stadium for Brazilian football legend.

‘We’re going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pele,’ Infantino told journalists gathered at the Vila Belmiro, the stadium where the player known as ‘The King’ first exploded onto the world stage with his exploits for his longtime club, Santos FC.

‘We’re here with great sadness,’ Infantino said. ‘Pele is eternal. He’s a global icon of football.’

FIFA had already flown the flags of the world at half-mast Friday outside its headquarters in Zurich in honor of Pele, whom the organization has named as the greatest player of the 20th century.

Pele, the only player in history to win three World Cups, died at a Sao Paulo hospital after a long battle with cancer. 

Monday’s wake was followed by a funeral procession through the streets of Santos on Tuesday.

Tuesday brought a funeral procession through the streets of Santos as fans paid tribute to Pele