Fifa president Infantino ducks Qatar worker abuse question, says building World Cup stadiums gives migrants sense of pride
- Infantino asked if football governing body will help families of those who died building infrastructure
- Media reports have previously claimed that more than 6,000 workers have died during construction projects
Fifa president Gianni Infantino said migrant workers gain pride from hard work when he was asked about them suffering in Qatar while building World Cup infrastructure.
Despite the abuses, Infantino claimed workers would feel proud at being given the chance to construct stadiums for this year’s tournament in the Gulf nation, earning a living rather than being given charity.
The comments came after Infantino was asked at the global conference of the Milken Institute in Los Angeles on Monday night (LA time) if Fifa would use its profits to make “any sort of commitment” to help families of workers who died in Qatar.
He did not directly address that point when responding to MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle on stage, instead pointing to the introduction of a minimum wage and enhanced labour rights.
“Let’s not forget one thing … when we speak about this topic, which is work, even hard work, tough work,” Infantino said. “America is a country of immigration. My parents emigrated as well from Italy to Switzerland. Not so far, but still.
“When you give work to somebody, even in hard conditions, you give him dignity and pride. It’s not charity. You don’t make charity. You don’t give something to somebody and say, ‘Stay where you are. I give you something and I feel good.’”
Ruhle interjected: “But to build the stadium where the World Cup is to be played.”