FIFA President Gianni Infantino has called for a month-long temporary ceasefire in Ukraine while the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar starts on Sunday.
In a speech delivered at the G20 summit in Bali, Infantino said that sport can bring people together and that the World Cup can provide a positive incentive to work towards a solution to the crisis.
And he added: in the event that a ceasefire is impossible, one can think about “establishing some kind of humanitarian corridors or something that could lead to the resumption of dialogue.”
“I urge all of you to consider a one-month temporary ceasefire for the duration of the World Cup,” he said at a dinner for G20 leaders.
After calling football a unifying nation, he pointed out that Russia hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup and that Ukraine is filing a joint file with Spain and Portugal to host the 2030 World Cup, with FIFA excluding Russia from its tournaments a few days after after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. which led to his exclusion from the Continental Qualifiers. European Qualifiers for the Final.
He continued in this regard: “We are not naive to believe that football can solve the world’s problems”, but stressed that it is a “unique platform” as about five billion people – more than half of humanity – are expected to watch it on television. worldwide. , adding: “Let’s take this opportunity to do our best to end all conflicts.”
The G20 talks included US President Joe Biden and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, although it was not immediately clear whether they were listening to Infantino, who later asked the leaders to sign a commemorative soccer ball.