Britain's football policing lead has hit back at Fifa president's joke about British fans’ behaviour at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, describing it as "neither helpful nor accurate".
Gianni Infantino aimed a jibe at UK supporters during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, ahead of the 2026 North American World Cup.
He said the finals in the Middle East were special because "no Brit was arrested”.
England and Wales fans were present during the competition, but neither Scotland nor Northern Ireland qualified for the tournament four years ago.
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Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the football policing lead for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: "Whilst these things may be said in jest, it is neither helpful or accurate to make this sort of comment.
"For the record, ‘British’ fans behaving at World Cups is the norm, not something special.
"In Qatar (there were) no arrests of English or Welsh fans, in Russia - three England fans were arrested for very minor offences. (In) Brazil - 15 arrests - of which seven were touts - and South Africa (saw) seven arrests for minor matters.
"Given the high number of fans who travel and pay a lot of money to get to World Cups, there are many, many other countries who are more problematic for hosts."
| PAMr Infantino spoke about the Qatar World Cup as he sought to allay fears around the staging of this summer’s finals, particularly in the United States.
He said there had been “a lot of critics” of the Qatar finals, but added: “When the ball started rolling and the magic started, we had virtually no incidents.
“For the first time in history also, no Brit was arrested during a World Cup. Imagine! This is something really, really special.”
The Football Supporters’ Association said Mr Infantino should focus on providing cheap tickets, rather than making jokes at fans’ expense.
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The World Cup will be hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico | PAGB News has approached Fifa for a comment.
England and Scotland's World Cup fixtures were revealed in December last year during the draw in Washington DC.
The Three Lions were drawn into Group L alongside Croatia, Panama and Ghana.
Scotland were drawn into Group C, meaning they will face Brazil, Morocco and Haiti.
Details of the FIFA World Cup Trophy as the screen displays the schedule during the FIFA World Cup 2026 official match schedule announcement | GETTYDonald Trump was among those in Washington for the draw, with the US President receiving the new Fifa Peace Prize.
This year's competition introduces a new 48-team format, expanding from the traditional 32-team structure used since 1998.
Instead of eight groups of four, the tournament will now feature 12 groups of four teams, with the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advancing to a much larger Round of 32.
This replaces the old system, which moved straight into a Round of 16.
If the Republic of Ireland or Wales qualify, they will be placed in Group B alongside Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.
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