Morning Sports Update
Brady’s comments come amid local criticism of FIFA ahead of the summer tournament.
Tom Brady during the FIFA World Cup draw in December, prior to his comments about Gianni Infantino. AP Photo/Chris Carlson
February 26, 2026 | 11:51 AM
4 minutes to read
Tom Brady’s comments about FIFA president Gianni Infantino: Despite ongoing cost concerns from both local fans and organizers about the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Patriots legend Tom Brady recently spoke glowingly of the international soccer organization’s president.
Brady, speaking in a recent interview via CGTN Sports, had high praise for FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“The turnaround really starts with tremendous leadership at the top and what Gianni has done in terms of his leadership, his inclusion,” Brady said of Infantino, who was elected to his role in FIFA exactly 10 years ago.
“I think Gianni is a man of the people, and he’s always out there celebrating the great parts of the sport,” Brady added. “I think he’s made great contributions to the world of football. And getting a chance to know him and understand the kind of person he is, the values he represents, I think that really showcases itself within the broader goals of what football is all about. Football is for everyone. It’s a chance for all of us to connect, globally, over something that we love.”
Brady, who works for Fox Sports (which has broadcast rights to the tournament), was recently a part of the FIFA World Cup draw in December.
“It was great to be a part of the FIFA draw, but just to know that there are 48 countries now participating in the World Cup in all of North America is incredibly exciting because it just means more inclusion, more countries, more fans, a broader audience for these incredible games and these athletes to showcase what they’ve really tried to accomplish their whole life, which is reach the pinnacle of their sport,” Brady explained. “And the fact that they’re able to do that in America and showcase it on the biggest stage is absolutely incredible, and it was fun for me to be a part of.”
The seven-time Super Bowl winner’s characterization of Infantino has produced a strong reaction. Even a Fox Sports post about Brady’s comments acknowledged that the description of Infantino as a “man of the people” had “raised eyebrows amongst those who feel the FIFA president is increasingly out of touch with the sport’s actual participants.”
Infantino, 55, was reportedly paid a total salary of $6.1 million in 2024 according to Le Monde (which examined FIFA’s U.S. tax filings in late 2025). And his ability to relate to common fans might be obscured slightly by his jet-setting lifestyle and evolving residencies depending on the site of the next men’s World Cup.
The FIFA head has been criticized for bizarre and performative statements made in response to accusations about the human rights record of 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar. His decision to award U.S. president Donald Trump with an unprecedented FIFA Peace Prize (abandoning the organization’s stated political neutrality) at the draw in December also invited widespread reproach. Beyond that, Infantino’s recent comments calling for Russia’s reinstatement into FIFA even amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine were labelled as “irresponsible” by Ukraine’s sports minister Matvii Bidnyi.
As for Brady’s claim that “football is for everyone,” it lands somewhat incongruently with the on-the-ground reality facing many local fans and officials preparing for the summer tournament.
The Town of Foxborough is currently embroiled in a standoff over $7.8 million in security funding for World Cup games that will be played at Gillette Stadium. Parking will also be a major question for thousands hoping to attend local games, especially after a recent WBUR report from Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez illuminated the detail that a majority of regular stadium parking will not be available.
And then the ticket costs, which Infantino has acknowledged will be higher than ever before. For those who didn’t get selected in FIFA’s ticket draws, the secondary ticket market offers a harsh option. Currently, the cheapest ticket for any of the Gillette Stadium-based World Cup games is $601.
The FIFA World Cup is set to start on June 11 and run through July 19, with Gillette Stadium (known in FIFA branding terms as “Boston Stadium“) set to host seven matches.
Trivia: Tom Brady won his first Super Bowl in early 2002. Can you name every men’s World Cup winning nation since then?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: There are six nations in total.
Scores and schedules:
The Celtics lost to the Nuggets 103-84 on Wednesday in Denver, snapping a four-game winning streak. Boston will face the Nets at TD Garden on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
The Bruins return to the ice tonight for the first time since the Olympics, facing the Blue Jackets at home at 7 p.m.
The Fleet also return to regular season play following the Olympic break in the coming days. Boston will face the Charge in Ottawa on Saturday at 2 p.m.
And the Revolution face the Red Bulls at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Route one hockey: The Providence Bruins defeated the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 6-4 on Wednesday, highlighted by a fantastically improbable goal scored by Patrick Brown out of mid-air.
On this day: In 2012, professional bowler Pete Weber won his fifth U.S. Open and inadvertently unleashed one of the iconic quotes of recent sports history: “Who do you think you are? I am!“
Daily highlight: Speaking of improbable hockey goals, here’s a fun one from a Minnesota high school game with state championship implications.
When Edina hit this one, you figured it just might be their night.
This #SCTop10-worthy goal erased Wayzata’s 1-0 2nd period lead, and was the first goal in junior Bode McConnell’s hat trick in Edina’s 3-1 win.@edinahornets earn the community’s amazing *44th* trip to State. pic.twitter.com/5km655vNkl
— Chris Long (@ChrisLongKSTP) February 26, 2026
Trivia answer: Brazil, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Argentina
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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