World Cup followers can survive with out beer, insists FIFA president

Talking after months of concern over the nation’s therapy of migrant staff, anger at its LGBTQ legal guidelines and doubts over the legitimacy of the choice to carry the match there, Infantino stated it was fallacious for Europe to lecture the Qataris.

“For what we Europeans have been doing for the previous 3,000 years, we must be apologizing for the subsequent 3,000 years, earlier than beginning to give ethical classes to folks,” he stated Saturday.

Infantino stated there have been enhancements in the way in which migrant staff are handled, partly because of the engagement that’s occurred on account of the World Cup. On the eve of one of the crucial criticized World Cups ever, Infantino stated his expertise because the son of Italian migrants in Switzerland allowed him to grasp what it meant to be bullied as a foreigner out of the country. 

He started an almost-hour-long speech by saying: “Right now I really feel Qatari. Right now I really feel Arab. Right now I really feel African. Right now I really feel homosexual. Right now I really feel disabled. Right now I really feel a migrant employee.”  

“As a toddler in school I used to be bullied as a result of I had purple hair and freckles. Plus I used to be Italian, so think about,” Infantino stated.

After a last-minute change on Friday to the principles on alcohol gross sales on the occasion, there are fears that different laws governing the match can also be altered. Infantino tried to reassure the LGBTQ group they’d be secure, regardless of Qatar’s legal guidelines prohibiting homosexuality.

“Homosexual individuals are welcome in Qatar,” he stated. 

Infantino stated the Qatar match introduced many challenges, together with having so many stadiums inside a comparatively brief distance of each other. That was an element within the new guidelines on beer, he stated, earlier than shrugging off the ban.

“If that is the most important concern we have now for the World Cup, then I’ll resign instantly and go to the seaside to calm down,” Infantino stated, including that followers may survive with no beer for 3 hours.

The FIFA chief stated the match was set to beat revenues from the Russia World Cup 4 years in the past when it comes to media rights, sponsorship and ticketing, which might take it previous the earlier report of $5.4 billion.

“If that’s the case many individuals spend money on the World Cup and in Qatar, they make investments as a result of they consider in FIFA and belief Qatar,” Infantino stated.

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