French World Cup champion Zinedine Zidane stated on Monday that it was “time to forget the controversies and focus on the football” at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, despite calls to boycott the tournament due to the Gulf state’s record on human rights and treatment of migrant workers.
Former Real Madrid coach Zidane, 50, stated as he attended the unveiling of his wax figure at the Musee Grevin in Paris, “I hope France has a fantastic campaign, but I haven’t decided yet if I will go to Qatar.”
Zidane, when asked about the World Cup, which will begin on 20 November after more than a decade of controversy since Qatar was picked as host, stated that the focus should now be on the sport “for all those people who just want to watch football.”
“No matter what we say, it will never be sufficient, accurate, or the proper thing to say,” Zidane, who was accompanied by his parents, wife, and children, said.
Zidane, who contributed to France’s 1998 World Cup victory on home soil, served as an ambassador for Qatar’s successful bid to host the tournament.
In 2010, when FIFA named the tiny nation as host, he expressed “extreme satisfaction” with the decision.