Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s recent Instagram post, which controversially accused his critics of spreading "hate” during the World Cup, has been vehemently dismissed as "pathetic" by La Liga president Javier Tebas.

This sharp exchange comes as Democrats in the United States Congress confirmed an investigation into Infantino, citing "mounting evidence of potential corruption and a possible quid pro quo between Fifa and the Trump Administration."

Infantino’s extensive 15-page social media message following the conclusion of this summer’s World Cup had suggested that those "spending their time and energy hating us" should instead "meditate, pray, or watch a football match." This drew a swift and scathing response from Tebas.

Writing on his X account, Tebas stated: "Gianni Infantino has written a pathetic message on his Instagram account and on the accounts of @FIFAcom."

He continued, asserting that while football embodies emotion and unity, "transparency, good governance, and accountability are never hate; they are an obligation." Tebas further challenged Infantino, noting that "strong institutions do not discredit those who ask questions; they answer the questions."

He concluded with a pointed query: "when a leader dedicates an entire message to disqualifying those who exercise legitimate scrutiny, it’s inevitable to wonder… why precisely now? Is there something that explains such a defensive tone? Is something happening that we don’t know about?"

The US House Judiciary Committee has summoned Infantino to address what it describes as "Fifa’s sustained campaign to secure special favours from President Trump – including the dismissal of high-profile corruption cases involving hundreds of millions of dollars tied to Fifa – while American consumers were gouged by exorbitant World Cup ticket prices."

The Committee’s letter highlighted instances such as the "hilariously fake" Fifa Peace Prize awarded to President Trump last December at the World Cup draw, and the renting of office space at Trump Tower, presenting these as examples of actions designed "to induce President Trump and his Administration to make decisions in Fifa’s favour."

Documents and information related to the investigation have been requested by the Committee to be submitted by 10pm BST on August 9.

Fifa has been approached for comment regarding these developments.