Gullit Denies Authoring Letter Calling for Infantino’s Resignation Amid World Cup Controversy
Ruud Gullit publicly rejected claims he urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to step down, following the spread of fabricated quotes on social media and by China’s state-run news agency.
Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit has publicly denied authoring an open letter that called for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign. The denial was issued via his X account on June 10, 2026, one day before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The false claim originated from social media posts and an article published by China’s state-run news agency, Xinhua.
Gullit stated on X: "I want to make it very clear that these are not my words and I'm not affiliated with anything related to these quotes." He demanded the removal of posts attributing the quotes to him, stating: "The fact that you can, without verifying, attribute a quote like this to someone, shocks me." One specific X post repeating the claim was deleted after Gullit’s intervention.
The fabricated letter, which appeared in an Xinhua article titled "Dutch legend Ruud Gullit calls on FIFA president to resign over World Cup immigration chaos," contained detailed criticisms of Infantino’s leadership. The text alleged that the tournament had become a symbol of division and political disputes, citing incidents involving visa restrictions and entry denials for international delegates.
The broader context of the World Cup has been marked by significant logistical and political friction. Reported incidents include the Iranian national team being forced to move its training camp to Mexico, with team members required to enter and exit the US within 24 hours for matches. Somali referee Omar Artan was reportedly denied entry into the US despite holding a diplomatic passport and valid visa.
Other delegations faced similar hurdles, with Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein held for seven hours at Chicago airport and team photographer Talah Salah denied entry. Senegal and Uzbekistan squads were also subjected to extensive searches upon arrival. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended his engagement with US political figures, including President Donald Trump, stating the tournament would have been "impossible" without it.
Legal scrutiny has also mounted against the governing body. Attorneys-general from New York and New Jersey have subpoenaed FIFA regarding ticket pricing and seat allocation practices, alleging that dynamic pricing resulted in costs exceeding previous tournaments and that fans were misled about seat locations, particularly for matches at MetLife Stadium.
Linxi News’ predecessor outlet, Lead Stories, contacted Gullit’s spokesperson via email but had not received a response at the time of publication. Infantino held a news conference at Mexico’s Azteca Stadium on the eve of the tournament, urging stakeholders to remain calm amidst the ongoing visa and entry issues.
