DOHA, Qatar — On the eve of the World Cup, the president of world soccer’s governing body on Saturday defended Qatar’s reputation, criticizing the “hypocrisy” and “racism” from countries complaining about the Middle Eastern nation’s human rights record.
During a one-hour news conference on Saturday in Doha, Qatar, FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the treatment of migrant workers, added that LGBTQ+ people are welcome and asserted that he remains in control of soccer’s showpiece event despite a last-minute stadium ban on alcohol, ESPN reported.
“You want to criticize someone, come to me,” Infantino told reporters, according to The New York Times. “Criticize me. Here I am. Crucify me.
“Don’t criticize Qatar,” Infantino said. “Don’t criticize the players. Don’t criticize anyone. Criticize FIFA. Criticize me, if you want. Because I’m responsible for everything.”
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Infantino questioned European immigration policy, adding that nations in the West could learn from Qatar, a country that has faced criticism from human rights campaigners about the treatment of migrant workers, ESPN reported. Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, NPR reported.
“I am European. For what we have been doing for 3,000 years around the world, we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before giving moral lessons,” Infantino told reporters. “Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arab. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel a migrant worker.”
During a question-and-answer session, Infantino fired back at a reporter who said the executive left women out of his statement, The Associated Press reported.
“I feel like a woman,” Infantino answered.
Since it was awarded the World Cup in 2010, Qatar and FIFA have been subjected to criticism, NPR reported. A report this month from Equidem, a London-based rights group, said the migrant laborers who built the World Cup stadiums worked long hours and under harsh conditions. The report added that the migrants were subjected to discrimination, wage theft and other abuses, according to NPR.
Infantino defended Qatar’s policy.
“We in Europe, we close our borders and we don’t allow practically any worker from those countries, who earn obviously very low income, to work legally in our countries,” he said. “If Europe would really care about the destiny of these people, these young people, then Europe could also do as Qatar did.
“But give them some work. Give them some future. Give them some hope. But this moral-lesson giving, one-sided, it is just hypocrisy.”
The FIFA president also defended the decision by local organizers to ban the sale of beer at the tournament’s eight stadiums, the Times reported.
“I think personally, if for three hours a day you cannot drink a beer, you will survive,” Infantino said, adding that there were still dozens of other locations around the country where as many as 100,000 people could be served alcohol, according to the newspaper.
FIFA said in a statement on Friday that alcohol will be able to be purchased at the FIFA Fan Festival and other licensed venues, just not the stadiums, the AP reported.
Champagne, wine, whiskey and other alcoholic drinks will be available in the luxury hospitality areas of the stadiums. Those are exclusive to hospitality areas during the World Cup. Beer is normally available for regular ticket holders.