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| Gianni Infantino, president of the Federation International Football Association (FIFA), during a panel session on the opening day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday, May 23, 2022. |
FIFA President Gianni
Infantino said on Monday at the World Economic Forum that world football’s
governing body has used compensation received from corruption probes to
re-invest in the sport and “regain trust” in the organization.
The U.S. Department of
Justice confirmed last year that FIFA would receive $201 million in
compensation for losses sustained in global soccer corruption schemes.
Infantino revealed that FIFA
has “put their house in order” and used that money to help grow the
game, following the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 52-year-old also said the
World Cup in Qatar later this year will be “the best World Cup ever,”
despite criticisms over human rights issues in the country and the staging of
the prestigious tournament during November and December.
“This is a special year.
We come out of the pandemic. We are in a divided world. We need excuses to
bring people together. We have the best excuse with the World Cup. Come to
Qatar from the 21st of November to the 18th of December. You will have the
experience of your life, the best World Cup ever. Not only from a football
point of view, but also from an experience point of view – witnessing the Arab
culture, the history, the welcoming way of dealing with those who will come.
And this will certainly contribute to … well, maybe a little bit to making
the world feel a little bit better,” he said.
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