FIFA President Gianni Infantino Address - 2022 G20 Leaders' Summit in Bali 15 November 2022

Описание: FIFA President's Address - 2022 G20 Leaders' Summit Bali
   • FIFA President Gianni Infantino Address - ...  

I want to speak to you about the one topic which I believe all of you here will agree on: football. Football is truly unique and football unites the world. FIFA is an organisation of 211 countries, more than the United Nations, and we bring football to the world.

Last month we were in India for the Girls’ U-17 World Cup, which Spain won. Next year we will return to Indonesia for the Boys’ U-20 World Cup. And we unite the world through football. We encourage countries to come together to co-host events and world cups. As such, next year we will be in Australia and New Zealand for the Women’s World Cup and then Canada, Mexico and the United States for the Men’s World Cup in 2026.

But coming to the present, in five days’ time, the 2022 FIFA World Cup will kick off in Qatar. It is the
first major tournament after the pandemic. It is the first time it will be played in the Middle East as
well. And I can assure you that Qatar and FIFA have prepared everything to ensure everyone is
welcome for a big celebration, and you are obviously all most welcome.

And it must be said as well that Qatar has made significant reforms over the last two years, also thanks to the World Cup. As a consequence of that, for example, hundreds of thousands of workers enjoy better conditions than some years ago. So, three million fans will fill the stadiums and five billion people - five billion people - more than half the world’s population will watch the games on TV.

Entire countries will come to a standstill. Now, dear leaders, you are of course representing the largest economies in the world. So let me say one word about economics and football. Because you might not know that the global football GDP is almost 300 billion US dollars.

And whilst 90% of the fanbase of football is outside of Europe, 70% of this football GDP is produced within Europe. So just imagine the potential for the global economy if the rest of the world would produce even half of what Europe generates in relative terms and its impact on their respective GDPs all over the world. This would add another 200 or 300 billion in global football GDP. It would add 3 to 4 millions jobs for a global football GDP of half a trillion or more US dollars.

And this would contribute certainly to narrowing the income gap and growing global wealth, which are your and also FIFA’s priorities. But of course football is, as you all know, much more than just an economy. Football is also much more than just a sport. It has a huge social impact. You all know what football means to your people, to your countries. It is about passion. It is about inclusion. It is about tolerance. It is about non-discrimination. And it is about education.

Football is an investment in our children for our future. And football, of course, as [a sport], unites the world. And because football unites the world, the World Cup is an occasion to bring people together in peace, enjoy something deeply needed in the turbulent times we live in.

Seven months ago in Doha, at the occasion of the World Cup draw when the world was watching, I
made a plea for peace on behalf of the global football community. Today, five days before the start of that World Cup, I reiterate that plea. Football is a force for good. Of course, we are not naive to believe that football can solve the world’s problems.

For this, you are there. We know that our main focus as a sports organisation is and should be sports. But because football unites the world, this particular World Cup, with five billion people watching it, can be the trigger for a positive gesture, for a sign or a message of hope.

Dear leaders, Russia hosted the last World Cup in 2018. Ukraine [with Portugal and Spain] are bidding to host the World Cup in 2030 [among others]. Maybe, maybe, maybe that the current World Cup starting in five days can really be that positive trigger. So my plea to all of you is to think on 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 could 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. So let’s take this opportunity to do everything we can to start putting an end to all
conflicts. Thank you very much.

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Due to the word limit on Youtube descriptions, this speech is incomplete in the opening and closing sections.
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