Gianni Infantino defended the host country’s decision to ban the sale of beer at stadiums and fired back at the “hypocrisy” of Western criticisms.
DOHA, Qatar — The president of world soccer’s governing body on Saturday sought to blunt mounting concerns about the World Cup in Qatar with a strident defense of both the host country’s reputation and FIFA’s authority over its showpiece championship.
But in pushing back against criticism of the event, particularly from Europe, the president, Gianni Infantino, seemed to revel in redirecting much of that anger toward himself.