FIFA president Gianni Infantino hits back at Western critics of Qatar’s human rights record at his opening press conference of the World Cup 2022 on Saturday, blasting their “hypocrisy”.
I don’t want to give you any lessons of life, but what is going on here is profoundly, profoundly unjust.
Gianni Infantino, FIFA President
The build-up to the tournament in the Gulf state, which starts on Sunday, has been dominated by concerns over Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers, women and the LGBTQ community.
Press Conference
Infantino was speaking at an opening press conference of the tournament in Doha.
“This moral lesson-giving — one-sided — is just hypocrisy,” said the FIFA President.
“I don’t want to give you any lessons of life, but what is going on here is profoundly, profoundly unjust.”
He added: “For what we Europeans have been doing for the last 3,000 years we should apologize for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.”
The build-up to FIFA Qatar 2022
The build-up to the tournament in the Gulf state has been dominated by concerns over Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers and women. Infantino expressed his support for all communities and welcomed all to enjoy the games.
Qatar officials say their country has been the target of “racism” and “double standards”. They point to the reforms on working conditions and safety that have been hailed as groundbreaking in the Gulf region.
The World Cup kicks off on Sunday when host nation Qatar takes on Ecuador in the opening match.