World Cup reflections

Sir, – Gianni Infantino’s declaration of how he empathises with ill-treated minorities now having faced criticism for the World Cup being in Qatar is rather a mixed bag for those he seeks to support (“Fifa’s Infantino hits back at Qatar critics: ‘Today I feel disabled. Today I feel like a migrant worker’”, Sport, November 19th).

His statement “today I feel a migrant worker” may encapsulate one of the few ways their conditions of employment could be made worse. Conversely, if we infer from his words that he wishes to be counted among their number, that might be better news. His salary of over $3 million would boost their average remuneration significantly. – Yours, etc,

BRIAN O’BRIEN,

Kinsale,

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Co Cork.

Sir, – Infantino. What a crybaby. – Yours, etc,

PATRICIA MULKEEN,

Ballinfull,

Sligo.

Sir, – There are no official statistics on how many foreign workers died in building the infrastructure for the World Cup because the authorities did not record any. No doubt the ancient Romans did not track either the number of slaves killed building the Colosseum. Human life was cheap then, as it appears to also be in Qatar today. It seems, however, that several thousand died in what is a major outrage against human rights. Our Government should protest to Qatar at the very least or consider severing diplomatic ties. – Yours, etc,

PETER DALY,

Blackrock,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – No beer on sale at Qatar’s World Cup stadiums? Story Bud? – Yours, etc,

PAUL DELANEY,

Dalkey,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – The brouhaha about alcohol and the World Cup reminds me of the timeless words of Darth Vader: “I am altering the deal. Pray I don’t alter it any further.” – Yours, etc,

RICHARD BANNISTER,

Kildare,

Co Kildare.