Infantino on Qatar: Migrant workers get pride from hard work

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said migrant workers gain pride from hard work when he was questioned on Monday about workers suffering in Qatar while building World Cup infrastructure.

Infantino was asked about worker abuses in the Gulf nation while on stage at the global conference of the Milken Institute in California.

“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 immigrated 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.”

Infantino was asked about the claim — disputed by Qatar after being reported by The Guardian — that 6,500 workers have died building infrastructure to stage the Middle East's first World Cup in November. Infantino said only three people have died on the construction sites of the stadiums.

“Now 6,000 might have died in other works and so on,” Infantino said, “and FIFA is not the police of the world or responsible for everything that happens around the world."

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