FIFA president Gianni Infantino: Players should 'respect football' by not protesting

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Infantino told players to respect football and not protest on the pitch because fans want to forget their problems.

Multiple human rights groups have expressed concerns about the treatment of migrant workers and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer community in the country, leading to increased pressure to highlight issues of discrimination and abuse.

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Seven countries were going to wear a 'LoveOne' armband but backed down at the last minute after being threatened with on-field sanctions.

Germany's players covered their mouths during a team photo ahead of their group stage match against Japan, and England took a knee before all of their matches, although that was an anti- discrimination gesture not specifically introduced in relation to issues in Qatar.

Speaking at his closing World Cup news conference on Friday, Infantino said that he was responsible for everyone. We don't have to discriminate based on anything, we are a global organisation and we don't have to.

It isn't about prohibiting or not prohibiting. We obeyed the regulations that said on the field of play, you play football, and that's what we did.

As long as it's done in a respectful way, everyone is free to say what they want.

When it comes to the field of play, you need to respect it, and these regulations are there to make sure that happens. They are there to protect the football teams, not the heads of states, regimes, or anything else.

There are more than 200 football teams and their fans who want to come and enjoy football, and this is what we are here for, and honestly, I believe that we are defending values, we are defending human rights, we are defending the rights of everyone in the World Cup.

"But I also believe that those fans who come to the stadium, those 80,000, 70,000, 90,000 and all those billions of fans who are watching the World Cup on TV, maybe, we should think about that."

They just want to spend 90 minutes or now 100 minutes or 105 minutes or whatever without having to think about anything else than just enjoying a little moment of pleasure and joy.

We need to do that. We have to give these people a moment of time in their lives where they can forget about their troubles and enjoy football.

Everyone can express his views and opinions the way he wants between and after the competition. Let's celebrate this moment of joy for those who want to enjoy the game.

Four years ago in Russia, Infantino declared the World Cup to be the best ever.

The World Cup has been a huge success. It has been important for the future of all of us that the fans meet the Arab world.