World football chief Gianni Infantino has lauded Qatar’s strict Covid-19 containment measures which helped FIFA become the first sports body to organise a global tournament since the pandemic began.
Speaking to beIN Sports in Doha where the tournament is being played, Infantino said the “incredible work” put in by Qatar’s health authorities made the event possible.
“It’s important to send a message to the world that football is back to life, especially if we speak about a very difficult situation. This (the tournament) has only been possible thanks to the incredible work that has been done here in Qatar by the health authorities, by the organisers, by the government, of course starting with His Highness the Amir who gives the input,” Infantino said.
He added that the 30% attendance allowed for the matches was still “good” considering the circumstances.
“Of course, I wanted hundred percent. It’s not impossible. But 30% is good. The atmosphere was great in the games. But this doesn’t happen on its own. This happens thanks to a very detailed, very professional, very professionally implemented protocol and health insurance system because health comes first and it’s important, it sends out an important message that here in Qatar, here in Doha we can organise in safety and security for every involved player, official, referee, fan, a World Cup.
Infantino also backed an expanded Club World Cup in another interview with AFP, saying it will boost international competition between clubs.
 “We are focusing on world competition in the Club World Cup, for example, to have not only one club present from each confederation, but more participation because we need to boost club football all over the world,” he said in Doha.
There are two Club World Cups being played this year, with Qatar currently hosting the edition delayed from 2020 that concludes on Thursday when Bayern Munich face Mexican side Tigres before another seven-team edition goes ahead in Japan in December.
A lucrative, revamped 24-team Club World Cup, including eight sides from Europe, was due to be played in China this year. 
But the expanded competition will not now start until a later date after the delayed Euro 2020 and the Copa America tournaments were pencilled in for June and July.
An enlarged tournament could help address growing calls for “super leagues” of top regional and global clubs – leading European clubs are believed to be keen to create a European Super League.
Infantino did not say yesterday when the new Club World Cup format might begin.
“(But) we have already decided that the new Club World Cup will be featuring 24 teams from all different continents,” he said.
“We will still have to find the right slot for the new Club World Cup with 24 teams. It’s obviously not an easy challenge in this period where everything is congested anyway.
“If we need to wait one year longer then we’ll do that.” 
Infantino also said that coronavirus containment measures could still be in place during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but he insisted stadiums would be full.
But he also suggested FIFA could “concretely” help travelling fans from countries where vaccine rollout has been slow or had not yet begun.
“Maybe some precautionary measures have to be taken,” he said. “We need to see how the situation looks by then. It’s very difficult to foresee now.
“It will take a little bit of time, and we have two years of time to come back to some sort of normality.”
Infantino backed the Qatari hosts who in recent days have insisted the 2022 spectacle would go ahead with stadiums at 100 percent capacity, and he raised the prospect of FIFA assisting fans with vaccine requirements.
“If certain countries have difficulties accessing vaccines, in spite of the efforts of the World Health Organization... then we could certainly envisage helping them concretely with some projects targeting World Cup situations,” he said.
“But two years from now I believe that, and I hope sincerely, that everyone who would like to be vaccinated will be vaccinated.”