The FIFA president was reluctant to admit criticism over Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers.
Amnesty International has criticised Gianni Infantino for “brushing aside legitimate rights criticisms” in his speech at the outset of the Qatar World Cup.
The FIFA president responded to a wide range of issues in remarks ahead of the tournament’s opening match between Qatar and Ecuador.
Speaking about the issue of migrant workers, Infantino accused the European critics of hypocrisy.
“We know there are many illegal workers in Europe, living in conditions that aren’t the best,” the FIFA president said.
“In Qatar, of course, there are things that still don’t work, but this moral lesson-giving is one-sided, it is just hypocrisy.”
Amnesty International reacted to Infantino’s remarks a few hours after the press conference.
Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice, said: “In brushing aside legitimate human rights criticisms, Gianni Infantino is dismissing the enormous price paid by migrant workers to make his flagship tournament possible – as well as FIFA’s responsibility for it.
“Demands for equality, dignity and compensation cannot be treated as some sort of culture war – they are universal human rights that FIFA has committed to respect in its own statutes.
“If there is one tiny glimmer of hope, it is that Infantino announced that FIFA would establish a legacy fund after the World Cup.
“This cannot be mere window dressing, however. If FIFA is to salvage anything from this tournament, it must announce that it will invest a significant part of the $ 6 billion the organisation will make from this tournament and make sure this fund is used to compensate workers and their families directly.”
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