Ongoing divisions over FIFA’s decision to hold the FIFA World Cup in Qatar overshadowed the annual congress of the world governing body of football on Thursday, forcing President Gianni Infantino to insist the event had already changed the Arab state. Just 235 days after the start of the inaugural Middle East World Cup, a rare female voice in international football stood at Congress to declare that awarding the event to Qatar 12 years ago was “unacceptable” due to the state of human rights service.
Lise Klaveness, head of the Norwegian Football Association, said FIFA should act as a “role model” on human rights and other moral issues, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Debate over Qatar diverted attention from Infantino’s announcement that he would face another term in 2023 and that FIFA would earn a record $7 billion for the 2019-2022 accounting cycle.
Much of that comes from television and marketing revenue linked to the World Cup in Qatar, but FIFA and the hosts have repeatedly been put on the defensive during the event.
Klaveness emphasized human rights in the host country.
“We must take care of the migrant workers who have been injured or the families of those who died in the run-up to the World Cup,” she said in a speech at the end of the carefully choreographed congress, when individual federations were allowed to speak out.
Workers and Minority Rights
A handful of workers have died building new World Cup stadiums in the country, but international agencies have sought improvements in Qatar’s overall labor record.
“There is no room for employers who do not guarantee the freedom and safety of the World Cup workers,” she added.
All World Cup hosts had to guarantee the rights of gays and transgenders. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.
Klaveness also accused FIFA leaders of providing a “hesitant” response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian team has been banned from the World Cup, but the Russian Football Association itself has not been suspended.
Her comments about Qatar matched statements from several European countries and teams ahead of the tournament, which will run from November 21 to December 18.
The head of Qatar’s organizing committee, Hassan al-Thawadi, immediately took the stage to say he was disappointed that Klaveness had made her comments without speaking to the Qatari authorities.
He said the event, the Middle East’s first World Cup, would leave “truly transformational social, human, economic and environmental legacies.”
Qatar believes that much of the criticism it has received was unjustified. It has ended a labor system in which employers could stop migrant workers from leaving the country or changing jobs. It has also imposed a minimum wage.
Infantino said FIFA was aware of the problems and faced Qatar’s rulers.
Infantino is running for re-election
He said Qatar has made progress in six years “that has taken decades in other countries”.
“The only way to bring about positive change is through dialogue and engagement,” he said, adding that Qatar would host “the best World Cup ever”.
FIFA announced on Wednesday that 800,000 of the three million tickets had already been sold. An even bigger surge for the second round of sales is expected after the draw is held in Doha on Friday and fans know who their country will play against.
The success of the Qatar tournament could play a decisive role in Infantino’s bid for a third term as FIFA president.
“I want to tell you that I will run for re-election next year,” Infantino said at the end of the congress.
The 52-year-old Swiss-Italian lawyer was secretary general of the European governing body UEFA before taking over FIFA in 2016 after the corruption scandal that toppled predecessor Sepp Blatter.
FIFA has since tightened its governance and increased the amount of its vast resources returned to national federations.
promoted
But the World Cup in Qatar and proposals for a World Cup every two years have tested his leadership.
Infantino appeared to return to the biennial tournament, which Europe and South America vehemently opposed, claiming he had only acted on Congress’ orders to study the idea’s feasibility.
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