‘Remarkably deluded’: FIFA president Gianni Infantino brutally mocked following bizarre speech

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has hit back at criticism of Qatar’s human rights record on Saturday, blasting the “hypocrisy”.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a press conference at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) in Doha on November 19, 2022, ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football tournament. - Infantino hit back at Western critics of Qatar's human rights record at his opening press conference of the World Cup on November 19, blasting their "hypocrisy". (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has hit back at criticism of Qatar’s human rights record on Saturday, blasting the “hypocrisy” of Western critics on the eve of the World Cup kick-off.

Infantino, speaking at his opening press conference of the tournament in Doha, also expressed support for the LGBTQ community and migrant workers.

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“This moral lesson-giving – one-sided – is just hypocrisy,” the Swiss said.

“I don’t want to give you any lessons of life, but what is going on here is profoundly, profoundly unjust.

“For what we Europeans have been doing for the last 3000 years we should apologise for the next 3000 years before starting giving moral lessons to people.”

The build-up to the tournament in the Gulf state has been dominated by concerns over Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers, women and the LGBTQ community.

Infantino expressed his support for those communities.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a press conference. Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

“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 said.

“I’m not Qatari, African, gay, disabled and I’m not really a migrant worker but I know what it means to be discriminated and bullied, as a foreign in a foreign country, as a child at school I was bullied because I had red hair and freckles. I was bullied for that.

“There are 1 billion disabled people in the world … and nobody cares.”

Inevitably, Infantino was brutally mocked for his bizarre comments.

This is gonna go down as one of the most remarkably deluded speeches of all time from Infantino.

On the flip side, thank god his having freckles at school has allowed to understand what minority groups and migrant workers have been through.

— Alex Kay-Jelski (@AlexKayJelski) November 19, 2022

Infantino's 'opening remarks' have now gone on for 22 minutes of a 40-45 conference. He is yet to take a single question. His comments are historically rambling & deluded. It is beyond belief that this man is in charge of world football -- & has just been reelected unopposed.

— Dan Kilpatrick (@Dan_KP) November 19, 2022

What's really striking about this (absolutely extraordinary) speech from Infantino is how angry and bitter and...unhappy he seems on the eve of what is, in theory, meant to be the world's greatest sporting carnival and his crowning achievement.

— Rory Smith (@RorySmith) November 19, 2022

I knew he was going to say something stupid but my goodness https://t.co/t8HWgETSft

— Vince Rugari (@VinceRugari) November 19, 2022

Repulsive. Dangerous. Damaging. Yet this is a man being re-elected as head of FIFA unopposed.

— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) November 19, 2022

Tomorrow, he's going to feel a complete idiot. https://t.co/M2W1KZIwEv

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 19, 2022

Qatar officials say their country has been the target of “racism” and “double standards”.

They point to the reforms on working conditions and safety that have been hailed as groundbreaking in the Gulf region.

The World Cup kicks off on Sunday when host nation Qatar take on Ecuador in the opening match.

– with AFP