Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, made a request for a cease-fire during this year's World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday in Nusa Dua.
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| Gianni Infantino |
On the Indonesian island of Bali, at lunch with the heads of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies, Infantino made the appeal.
He said that the 2022 World Cup should be used by all parties as a "positive trigger" to end hostilities, and that it would be a useful tool for reaching an agreement.
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| World Cup 2022 Qatar |
The 2022 World Cup, which gets underway in Qatar on Sunday, he claimed, offers a special platform for peace.
Infantino said:
"My plea to all of you, to think of a temporary ceasefire for one month for the duration of the World Cup, or at least the implementation of some humanitarian corridors or anything that can lead to the resumption of dialogue as a first step to peace.
"You are the world leaders, you have the ability to influence the course of history. Football and the World Cup are offering you and the world a unique platform of unity and peace all over the world."
Remember when Russia advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup but was disqualified from the competition this year due to its invasion of Ukraine?
Ukraine, however, almost missed securing a spot in Qatar 2022 after Wales prevailed in a decisive playoff back in June.
Infantino continued, "Perhaps the next World Cup, which begins in five days, can be that constructive catalyst.
