FIFA President Gianni Infantino Says Qatar World Cup Not In Jeopardy

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that he "does not believe that the diplomatic crisis which has embroiled 2022 World Cup host nation Qatar will threaten its staging of the tournament," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. In an interview published in Swiss newspapers Le Matin Dimanche and Sonntagszeitung, Infantino said that he "expected the diplomatic situation to be back to normal by the time the tournament is played in five-and-a-half years' time." Asked if he "believed that Qatar's hosting was in danger," Infantino replied, "No. In any case, I am not in the habit of speculating and I'm not going to this time either." Infantino said that FIFA "was watching the situation and was in regular contact with the Qatari authorities." He said, "The essential role of FIFA, as I understand it, is to deal with football and not to interfere in geopolitics" (REUTERS, 6/11).