FIFA has written a letter to the 32 participating nations, signed by president Gianni Infantino and secretary-general Fatma Samoura, which appears to be a reaction, at least in part, to the video released by the Socceroos last week.
The Socceroos (Australian NT) are bracing for a frosty reception at the World Cup after their public stance against Qatar’s human rights record.
Their video was the first collective statement made by any team on the controversies that have dogged Qatar since it was awarded hosting rights in 2010.
What FIFA Said
The video prompted FIFA to ask all participating countries to “focus on the football” and stop dragging the sport “into every ideological or political battle that exists”.
FIFA have written to World Cup teams urging them to focus on the tournament and not be part of lecturing on morality and dragging football “into every ideological or political battle that exists”.
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 4, 2022
“We know football does not live in a vacuum and we are equally aware that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature all around the world.
“But please do not allow football to be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists,” Infantino and Samoura wrote.
“At FIFA, we try to respect all opinions and beliefs, without handing out moral lessons to the rest of the world.
“One of the great strengths of the world is indeed its very diversity, and if inclusion means anything, it means having respect for that diversity. No one people or culture or nation is ‘better’ than any other.
“This principle is the very foundation stone of mutual respect and non-discrimination.
Trending Stories: Gerard Pique Announces Shock Retirement Decision, Last Match At The Weekend
“And this is also one of the core values of football. So, please let’s all remember that and let football take centre stage.”
Meanwhile, Nasser Al Khater, the chief executive of Qatar’s World Cup organising committee spoke in a recent interview with Sky Sports. This was conducted before the Socceroos’ video.
He said that most people who were criticising the country were “not experts” on labour rights, were “possibly” motivated by racism, and told football administrators to “focus on their teams” instead.
COMMENTS