The president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), Gianni Infantino addressed the press conference held before Qatar World Cup 2022 with a bizarre speech in a bid to respond to the criticism it faced for holding the tournament in Qatar.
Qatar's hosting rights for FIFA World Cup 2022 have been a topic of criticism around the world. From accusations of bribing authorities for hosting rights to celebrities and football players opposing the Arab nation, FIFA faced criticism for neglecting all the controversies that surrounded Qatar and for supporting it. To address the worldwide criticism, FIFA president Gianni Infantino held a press conference to defend the stand of the federation but ended up delivering a speech that sounded rather bizarre.
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FIFA President Bizarre Speech
Gianni Infantino reportedly 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." He further added, "I know what it feels
The World Cup 2022 will be held in Doha from November 20 to December 18. Qatar government has posed many restrictions on the spectators that will be visiting the country for the tournament. The authorities have asked visitors to wear appropriate clothing to respect the country's culture, to cover their shoulders and knees in public places, fans will not be allowed to remove shirts and beer is banned in stadiums during matches. It was also rumoured that Qatar was bribed to win the hosting rights for World Cup 2022. The controversies are also because of the human rights abuse cases in Qatar.
Football players like Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes have expressed their disappointment over Qatar's hosting rights. Some celebrities have refused to perform at World Cup 2022 because of the controversies like singer Dua Lipa who released an official statement on social media that she will visit Qatar only when the authorities fulfil the human rights promised that they made.