FIFA's Chief Accuses West of "Racist” and “hypocrisy” for Criticizing Qatar over World Cup

On Saturday, Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president, accused Europe of "hypocrisy" and “racism” as he delivered an extraordinary 57-minute monologue hitting back at Qatar World Cup critics. 

Just 24 hours before the tournament kicks off, football's most powerful administrator delivered a furious and downbeat defence filled with whatabouteries. 

He attempted to turn the tables on Europe's own record on migrant rights in a lengthy speech criticising the world media's coverage of the tournament. In comments quickly branded "embarrassing" online, Infantino said: "This moral lesson-giving, one-side, is just hypocrisy." 

Just a fortnight ago, Infantino had been a signatory on a letter pleading with competing nations to avoid politicising the tournament amid criticism of human rights. But, in his own speech, he urged Europe to consider that it should itself be apologising for "3,000 years". 

In a bizarre opening gambit to his long speech, he 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."