Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Infantino launches extraordinary rant at western ‘hypocrisy’ over Qatar criticism

Infantino launches extraordinary rant at western ‘hypocrisy’ over Qatar criticism

FIFA president Gianni Infantino this morning launched a remarkable defence of Qatar and the most controversial World Cup in history, accusing Western critics of gross hypocrisy.
In a rambling series ‘opening remarks’ which ran for an hour on Saturday, Infantino suggested the West could learn from Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers, claimed scrutiny of alleged fake England fans was “pure racism” and ordered European nations to spend “three-thousand years apologising” for their colonial past before starting to deliver “moral lessons”.

More than 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since the country was first awarded the World Cup, leading to major criticism from human rights organisations, politicians and the media in the run-up to the tournament.

However, Infantino insisted major progress has been made on the issue in Qatar and ordered European critics to get their own house in order.

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

“How many of these European companies who earn millions and millions from Qatar or other countries in the region – billions every year – how many of them have addressed migrant worker rights? I have the answer: none of them, because if they change the legislation, it means less profits.”

Only around 10 percent of Qatar’s population of almost three-million is made up of Qatari nationals, with the state reliant on an influx of migrant workers to build the seven new stadiums that have been constructed for this tournament.

Infantino claimed that by offering work to people willing to leave their homes in developing countries, Qatar had given them “some future” and “some hope”, urging European nations with stricter restrictions on immigration to follow suit.

“Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, they help their families [at home] to survive,” Infantino said. “And they do it in a legal way.

“We in Europe, we close our borders and we don’t allow practically any workers from these countries to work legally in our country. We all know there are many illegal workers in our European countries, living conditions which are also not really the best.

“Those who reach Europe, those who want to go to Europe, they have to go through a very difficult journey. Only a few survive. So if you would really care about the destiny of these people, these young people, then Europe could also do as Qatar did: create some legal channels where at least a number of these workers could come to Europe.”

There was also a rejection of claims that groups of Indian ex-pats filmed in Doha this week dressed in England shirts and cheering for Gareth Southgate’s side were ‘fake fans’.

“I am reading that these people don’t look like English so they shouldn’t cheer for English, they look like Indians,” Infantino said. “What is that? Can someone who looks Indian not cheer for England or Spain or Germany. You know what this is? It is racist, pure racist.”

Infantino also repeated his insistence that LGBTQ+ fans are welcome in Qatar, despite homosexuality being illegal in the country, having bizarrely, started his monologue by claiming to be able to sympathise with minority groups - because he was bullied for having freckles as a child.

“Today, I have very strong feeling,” Infantino began. “Today, I feel Qatari. Today I feel, Arab. Today, I feel African. Today, I feel gay. Today, I feel disabled. Today, I feel like a migrant worker.

“Of course, I am not Qatari, I am not Arab, I am not African, I am not gay, I’m not disabled, I am not really a migrant worker. But I feel like them because I know what it feels like to be discriminated against, to be bullied, as a foreigner in a foreign country. As a child, at school, I was bullied because I had red hair and freckles.”

Among the other extraordinary elements of a press conference that ran beyond an hour-and-a-half in total, Infantino suggested taking a World Cup to Iran would improve the situation there amid widespread unrest over women’s rights and revealed he once travelled to North Korea in an attempt to convince the government there to joint-host a Women’s World Cup alongside South Korea.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
×