Xinhua News Agency Bali, Indonesia, November 16th Title: Football unites the world - an exclusive interview with FIFA Chairman Infantino
Xinhua News Agency reporters Liu Kai and Yu Qianliang
Qatar On the eve of the opening of the World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters that football is not just a sport, its cultural value and influence can unite the world.
Infantino accepted an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Yiliang
During the 17th G20 Leaders' Summit in Bali, Indonesia, Infantino called on all parties to shelve disputes and conflicts during the Qatar World Cup, and use football as a medium to enjoy the joy brought by this four-year sports event.
Infantino said football is a group sport that advocates inclusion, collaboration and passion. He hopes to take advantage of the World Cup opportunity to build a communication bridge for countries and regions and bring joy to fans around the world. "Football has a unique charm that can bring people together."
This summit is themed "Common Recovery, Strong Recovery". As the head of the world's largest single sports federation, Infantino said that football is both a popular sport and an important economic activity, creating hundreds of billions of dollars in economic value and millions of jobs, and the development of the football industry is also conducive to the global economic recovery.
On November 11, people took photos in front of the World Cup landscape set up on the Doha Seaside Avenue. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Zijian
2022 World Cup final stage competition will be held in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, which is also the first time that the World Cup is held in the Middle East. Infantino expects nearly 5 billion people to watch the event worldwide. "This World Cup will bring happiness and unity to convey hope to the world."
Infantino also talked about China's plan to bid for the 2031 Women's World Cup , believing that this will help promote the development of football in China and even Asia. He said that the world football market is unevenly distributed and is mainly concentrated in European countries, but this also means that the football market in other regions has huge potential.
Infantino said that there is no doubt that China is an important part of the development of world football. From the national team level to the club level, Chinese football is a priority for development. He looks forward to the Chinese women's football team achieving good results in the World Cup held next year.
Infantino said that FIFA has carried out a number of cooperations with China, hoping to give football culture a broader foundation in China. Let more children get in touch with football from an early age, so as to cultivate team spirit and respect their opponents. This is the most core value of football.
"For football enthusiasts, continue to participate in football. Whether you are young or psychologically young, you will smile happily when you get the ball," Infantino said.
Infantino accepted an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Yiliang
As an Italian-born Swiss, Infantino also expressed regret for the Italian team not being able to get a ticket to the Qatar World Cup. He specifically said to Chinese fans: "We are companions. Let's watch the World Cup together, enjoy football, and look forward to the next World Cup, both the Chinese and Italian teams qualifying."
Source: Xinhuanet
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