‘I feel gay, disabled … like a woman too!’: Infantino makes bizarre attack on critics

The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, has accused critics of Qatar's human rights record of staggering hypocrisy and racism in a bizarre and incendiary attack on the eve of the 2022 World Cup finals.

In an 57-minute diatribe which frequently drew gasps of astonishment, Infantino claimed that western nations were in no position to give morality lessons to Qatar given their past and current behaviour.

"We have been told many, many lessons from some Europeans, from the western world," he said. "I think for what we Europeans have been doing the last 3,000 years we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people."

Infantino also played down concerns over whether LGBTQ+ fans faced danger in a country where gay people risk torture and imprisonment, and insisted that Qatar - with Fifa's help - had reformed workers' rights beyond all recognition.

The speech began, though, with Infantino appearing to suggest that his own experiences as a son of Italian immigrants in Switzerland gave him a deep understanding of migrant workers and other minorities in Qatar.

"Today I feel Qatari," he said. "Today I feel Arabic. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel [like] a migrant worker."

He added: "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 [against], 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."

Later it was pointed out that in his opening monologue, he had missed out half the world's population. "I feel like a woman too!" Infantino added.

The 52-year-old then claimed that just as Switzerland as a country had progressed on many issues, Qatar could too. Indeed, he noted that Fifa had been a guiding light in helping it improve the situation for migrant workers by scrapping the kafala system that tied workers to employers, introducing a minimum wage and heat protections.

Last year the Guardian reported that at least 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since preparations for the World Cup began. However Infantino said such criticisms were hypocritical given that 25,000 migrants had actually died trying to get into Europe since 2014.

"Qatar is offering them this opportunity," he said. "They do it in a legal way. We in Europe, we close our borders. We don't allow practically any workers from these countries who are trying to come to work legally in our countries.

"Those who reach Europe, or those who want to come to Europe, they have to go through very difficult journeys. Only a few survive. So if you really care about the destiny of these people - these young people - Europe can do as Qatar did. Create some channels, some legal channels, to increase the percentage of these workers to come to Europe. Give them some work. Give them some future."

Even more controversially, Infantino insisted that LGBTQ+ rights would be protected in Qatar during the World Cup. "They have confirmed and I can confirm that everyone is welcome. If you have a person here and there who says the opposite, it's not the opinion of the country, it's certainly not the opinion of Fifa,' he said.

"You want to stay at home and say how bad they are, these Arabs, these Muslims, because it's not allowed to be publicly gay. I believe it should be allowed. But it is a process. If someone thinks that hammering and criticising will achieve something, well I can tell you it will be exactly the opposite. It will close more doors."

Infantino also accused journalists who have questioned whether there are "fake fans" supporting England at this World Cup of racism. "Can someone who looks maybe like an Indian not cheer for England, or for Spain or Germany?" he asked. "You know what this is? This is racism. This is pure racism. And we can stop that."

Incredibly, he also brushed off the ban on alcohol from stadiums introduced two days before the tournament kicks off, which on Friday sent Fifa officials and sponsors into a panic. "If this is the biggest issue we have for the World Cup then I will resign immediately and go to the beach to relax," he joked. "I think if for three hours a day you cannot drink a beer, you will survive.

"The same rules apply in France, Spain, Portugal and Scotland. Here it has become a big thing, because it is a Muslim country? I don't know why. We tried and that is why I give you the late change of policy. We tried to see if it was possible."

Infantino also maintained that any criticism of this World Cup should be directed at him and not Qatar. "You can crucify me, I'm here for that," he said. "But don't criticise Qatar. Let people enjoy this World Cup."

He added: "Do we want to continue to spit on the others because they look different, or they feel different?. We defend human rights. We do it our way. We obtain results. We got women fans in Iran. The Women's League was created in Sudan. Let's celebrate. Don't divide."

Infantino's speech drew immediate criticism from human rights groups. Nicholas McGeehan, director of FairSquare, said: "Infantino's comments were as crass as they were clumsy and suggest that the Fifa president is getting his talking points directly from the Qatari authorities. Deflection and whataboutery have always been at the core of Qatar's PR efforts to defend its rank failures, and now they have the Fifa president doing their work for them."

Amnesty International also released a statement, saying: "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."

The media conference ended with the Fifa director of media relations, Bryan Swanson, addressing the room. Swanson, a former Sky Sports reporter, said: "I am sitting here as a gay man in Qatar. We have received assurances that everyone will be welcome and I believe everyone will be.

"Just because he [Infantino] is not gay, does not mean he does not care. He does. You see the public side and I see the private side. I have thought long and hard about whether I should say this. I do feel strongly about it."

Swanson continued: "We care about everyone at Fifa. I have a number of gay colleagues. I am fully aware of the debate and fully respect people's opinions. When he says we are inclusive, he means it."