French President Emmanuel Macron insisted on Thursday that sport "must not be" politicized ahead of the Qatar FIFA World Cup that is set to begin on November 20, as the controversy surrounding the host country continued to throw shade on the event.
"Whether the question is climate or whether it is about human rights, we are not going to ask ourselves [the question] every time the event is there," Macron told reports in Thailand. According to the French president, the principle of "not politicizing sport" also applies to the Paris Olympics, which will be organized in the French capital in 2024.
"I don't know in what context the Olympic Games will take place on the geopolitical level. But it is certain that the vocation of these major events is to allow athletes from all countries, including sometimes countries at war, to be able to bring the sport to life," Macron stated.
