Featured Image Credit: BBC Sport
Topics: Gianni Infantino, FIFA, England, Football World Cup
James Aldred
Topics: Gianni Infantino, FIFA, England, Football World Cup
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was booed by fans at last night's World Cup match between England and Wales.
The Swiss-Italian appeared on the big screens inside the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium with less than ten minutes to go, prompting fans from both sides to heckle and jeer him.
'Boos around the stadium when Gianni Infantino's image lit up the big screen,' BBC commentator Guy Mowbray explained.
Infantino, who's been the President of FIFA since 2016, has made plenty of headlines in recent weeks.
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Before the World Cup got underway, the 52-year-old sent a letter to all competing nations, asking them to 'stick to football' amid concerns about the hosts' human rights record and attitudes towards women and the LGBTQ+ community.
And on the eve of the action, Infantino delivered what many considered to be an insensitive monologue, in which he defended the tournament and questioned certain countries' hesitations about it.
'Today I have strong feelings,' he told the press in Doha. 'Today I feel Qatari. I feel Arab.
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'I feel African. I feel gay. I feel disabled. I feel a migrant worker.'
England, on the other hand, received a much warmer reception from their supporters last night.
A strong second half saw the Three Lions secure a 3-0 win against Wales and grab top spot in Group B.
"Watching lots of games, the big players have stepped up," manager Gareth Southgate said at full-time, as quoted by BBC Sport.
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"Our forwards didn't do that in the first half, but in the second half they really did.
"You need goals from all areas. It is a problem for opposition if the threat is coming from other areas of the pitch. It is competition for places and people have to deliver."
Next up for Southgate's men is a clash with Senegal in the round of 16 on Sunday.
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Kick-off in Al Khor is at 7pm GMT.