Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, reacted angrily to criticism from Europe of World Cup host Qatar after the country forbade the sale of beer in its stadiums two days before the start of the event.
In response to protests about the alcohol prohibition, Mr. Infantino criticized individuals who spoke out against the World Cup management and human rights violations in Qatar.
Despite FIFA’s £63 million sponsorship arrangement with Budweiser, the Qatari royal family ordered that no alcohol be offered inside stadiums throughout the competition.
Fifa revised its position just two days before the tournament began and declared that none of the eight World Cup stadiums will serve alcohol.
Even though alcohol sales are legally prohibited in the Muslim nation, it was planned to be served “in select places within stadiums.”
Alcohol will still be available for purchase in the corporate sections of the stadiums during the competition.
Alcohol sales to tourists in Qatar are typically tightly restricted to a few hotels and restaurants.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino at a news conference in Doha, on the eve of the World Cup said: “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”.
From now on, beer sales in the Gulf State will only be permitted in “fan zones,” where a pint will cost £12, and fans are limited to just four drinks each to prevent intoxication.
In response to complaints from Europeans over the prohibition, Mr. Infantino reacted angrily and advised fans not to whine about being unable to drink.
‘Honestly, if this is the biggest problem we have for the World Cup, I would sign it right away, go to the beach, and unwind until the 18th of December,’ he said during the press conference.
“Every decision we make during this World Cup is one that Qatar and FIFA jointly make.
“I strongly believe that you can exist without drinking a beer for three hours a day.”
Before lecturing people on morality, the FIFA president continued, “What we Europeans have been doing for the past 3,000 years, we should be sorry for the next 3,000 years.”
On the other hand, Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, has called Western criticism of Qatar’s human rights record on the eve of the World Cup “hypocritical.”
At a news conference in Doha, Infantino delivered an unusual monologue during which he vehemently defended Qatar and the event for an hour.
The event has been overshadowed by problems in Qatar, such as the oppression of LGBT people and the deaths of migrant laborers.
Infantino, who was born in Switzerland, suggested that instead of concentrating on the problems of migrant workers in Qatar, European countries should apologize for historical wrongdoing.
Infantino said: “Of course I am not Qatari, I am not an Arab, I am not African, I am not gay, I am not disabled. 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. I went in my room and I cried.
“I feel for the FIFA and Supreme Committee staff. They want to deliver here. I am proud to have this FIFA sign on my jacket. It will be the best World Cup ever. Qatar is ready.
“Hundreds of thousands women and men from developing countries who’d like to offer their services abroad in order to help and give a future to their families back home. Qatar is actually offering them this opportunity. They come here, earn 10 times more than what they earn in their home country.
“For what we Europeans have been doing around the world in the last 3,000 years we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.
“How many of these European or Western business companies who earn millions from Qatar, billions, how many of them have addressed migrant workers’ rights with the authorities?
“None of them, because if you change the legislation it means less profit. But we did, and FIFA generates much less than any of these companies from Qatar.”
Sunday at Al Bayt Stadium, the tournament’s opening match will feature hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador (16:00 GMT).
The Guardian reported in February 2021 that 6,500 migrant workers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka had perished in Qatar since it was awarded the World Cup bid.
The amount is based on data provided by the embassies of the nations in Qatar.
The Qatari government, however, claimed that the figure was inaccurate since not all of the fatalities reported were those engaged in World Cup-related activities.
Only three of the 37 deaths of workers at World Cup stadium construction sites between 2014 and 2020, according to the government’s accident data, were “work-related.”
The International Labour Organization (ILO), however, maintains that this is an understatement.
Infantino signed a contract that will assist 25 million children and women in India and added that Fifa’s Qatar 2022 legacy fund will go toward education.
