EXPLAINED: What all did FIFA President Gianni Infantino say ahead of 2022 Qatar World Cup

EXPLAINED: What all did FIFA President Gianni Infantino say ahead of 2022 Qatar World Cup

While the players strive to keep the game as clean as possible, tensions can rise to the point where players from opposing teams, or even the same teams, clash with one another. Here are the top  biggest fights during the FIFA World Cup.

Infantino asserted in a 57-minute rant that drew squeals of surprise that western nations were in no position to teach morals to Qatar because of their past and current actions.

Infantino said: “Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arabic. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel a migrant worker.”

“But I feel like it, because I know what it means to be discriminated, to be bullied, as a foreigner in a foreign country. As a child I was bullied – because I had red hair and freckles, plus I was Italian, so imagine.”

“We have been told many, many lessons from some Europeans, from the western world,” he said. “I think for what we Europeans have been doing the last 3,000 years we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.”

Even more bizarrely, Infantino insisted on the protection of LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar during the World Cup. “They have confirmed and I can confirm that everyone is welcome. If you have a person here and there who says the opposite, it’s not the opinion of the country, it’s certainly not the opinion of Fifa,’ he said.

Infantino also accused journalists who have questioned whether there are “fake fans” supporting England at this World Cup of racism. “Can someone who looks maybe like an Indian not cheer for England, or for Spain or Germany?” he asked. “You know what this is? This is racism. This is pure racism. And we can stop that.”

Lastly, he also dismissed the alcohol ban imposed two days before the tournament, which sent Fifa officials and sponsors into a frenzy on Friday. “If this is the biggest issue we have for the World Cup then I will resign immediately and go to the beach to relax,” he joked. “I think if for three hours a day you cannot drink a beer, you will survive.

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