FIFA boss Gianni Infantino blasted for slaughter of road canines in World Cup host metropolis

The underfire FIFA president already faces multiple calls to quit after his plan to sell off the World Cup to private investors was leaked

Animal lovers have got their claws into Gianni Infantino – for failing to stop the slaughter of street dogs in Morocco ahead of the 2030 World Cup.

The under fire FIFA president already faces multiple calls to quit after his plan to sell off the World Cup to private investors was leaked. Though he has backtracked UEFA and the English FA have threatened to boycott the tournament unless he steps down.

Now a global coalition of animal welfare organisations has accused Infantino of ‘moral failure’ in ignoring the mass culling by Morocco which wants to cleanse its streets of three million pooches before it hosts the tournament in four years.

The International Animal Coalition said FIFA had done nothing while dogs were being inhumanely poisoned, shot or beaten and left to die in overcrowded pounds or abattoirs daily.

Children who have witnessed the violence could be traumatised for life, experts have said. Sports human rights organisation FairSquare claimed FIFA under Infantino had become a ‘commercial entity that feeds off the game’s global appeal and causes or exacerbates a wide range of social harms’.

The International Animal Coalition – which represents 83 animal welfare organisations around the world – said it had repeatedly provided evidence to FIFA on Morocco’s brutal treatment of dogs yet no action had been taken.

Some dogs were poisoned with strychnine to cause a ‘prolonged and agonising death’, others were shot and more snatched off the streets to be killed in extermination units, it alleged.

The pooch killing went against a ‘culling-of-animals-is-prohibited’ pledge the nation gave FIFA when it made its bid to stage the tournament.

“Despite this FIFA has to date failed to take any action to correct this untruth and hold Morocco to account – and continues to show no sign of doing so,” a coalition spokesman said.

“FIFA has also been made aware that this traumatising violence inflicted on animals is often witnessed by children. It is also aware that adults are being assaulted by some members of Morocco’s ‘killing teams’ simply for using their mobile phones to record the violence. Women have also been threatened with rape.”

The coalition said it was ‘unsurprising’ Infantino chose FIFA’s Moroccan headquarters in Rabat to hold last week’s crisis meeting with senior colleagues at which he apologised for blindsiding them with his private investor plan. He has already declared the nation will host the next FIFA Congress in 2027 at which he hopes to be re-elected president.

Coalition chairman Les Ward said: “After years being mired in corruption scandals, when Gianni Infantino became FIFA President he promised that ‘we will restore the image of FIFA and the respect of FIFA and everyone in the world will applaud us’.

“Instead we believe that he and other members of the hierarchy of football’s governing body, including its 211 member associations, are guilty of ‘moral failure’ by ignoring their own guidelines and the actions of their appointed 2030 co-host Morocco.

“Since Morocco became a co-host they have done nothing to prevent and end the brutality and mass slaughter of hundreds-of-thousands of street and owned dogs every year before the start of the 2030 World Cup.

“Nor the psychological trauma inflicted on vulnerable children that witness this violence. Nor the physical violence on those who protest against the killings, including threats of rape made against women.

“Such actions are in breach of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on Human Rights. FIFA, which governs world football, as organiser of the 2030 World Cup and in line with its stated guidelines, has enormous influence and power to prevent such atrocities and outrageous behaviour.

“It could have stopped the killing and made humane animal population management a binding condition of hosting the World Cup. It could have demanded transparency and independent monitoring.

“Instead FIFA ignores the nightmare and does nothing. As temporary custodians of our collective football heritage, FIFA has brought death, trauma and shame inside the beautiful game.”

He said the coalition called on football clubs and associations, players and supporters to ‘raise their voices in every country and demand that FIFA immediately takes action to stop the killing, trauma and violence’.

Downton Abbey and After Life actor Peter Egan said: “FIFA cannot continue presenting itself as a force for good while turning its eyes away from the terror and death inflicted on defenceless animals by its co-host Morocco in preparation for a FIFA World Cup.”

Hollywood star Mark Ruffalo, who has played The Incredible Hulk in at least eight movies, added: “Killing millions of dogs to prepare for a global sporting event is not progress – it’s a moral failure.

“The World Cup should unite the world not be built on suffering that happens behind closed doors. Choosing compassion over violence is a responsibility we all share.”

The Moroccan embassy in London has rejected the cull allegations, insisting the country was committed to humane animal management practices. A spokesman has said previously: “It is entirely untrue that Morocco is planning to cull stray dogs ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.” FIFA had not responded to a request for comment.