Qatar hits back at Germany's "double standards" in pre-World Cup war of words

Qatar's Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has hit back at German "double standards" following criticism of Qatar being selected as a FIFA World Cup host ©Getty Images

Qatar's Foreign Minister has accused Germany of "double standards" in an escalating war of words between the countries centred on the FIFA World Cup.

Germany's ambassador in Qatar was summoned by the Government last month after German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser criticised the World Cup host's record on human rights.

Now Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has hit back at German "double standards" when it comes to Qatar, speaking to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

"On the one side, the German population is misinformed by Government politicians; on the other, the Government has no problem with us when it comes to energy partnerships or investments," the Foreign Minister said.

"It is ironic when this tone is struck in countries in Europe that call themselves liberal democracies.

"It sounds very arrogant, frankly, and very racist."

Al Thani's comments reference German attempts to secure gas from Qatar in the wake of European Union sanctions on Russia - host of the last FIFA World Cup - over the war in Ukraine.

Germany's captain is poised to wear a "OneLove" armband at the FIFA World Cup ©Getty Images

Criticism of Qatar's record on human rights - which includes migrant workers building World Cup venues being denied basic rights and the persecution of the LGBTQ+ community - is increasingly being framed as racism by the country's top diplomats.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has followed a similar line, claiming the World Cup is "an opportunity for Qatar and the whole Gulf region to present itself to the world in another light and get rid, once and for all, of some of the prejudice that sadly exists".

Infantino last week met Faeser in Qatar, along with German ambassador Mahmut Özdemir and German Football Association (DFB) President Bernd Neuendorf.

The visit came after Faeser, in refence to Qatar's record on human rights, said it would be "better that tournaments are not awarded to such states".

Faeser's comments infuriated Qatar, but her trip to the nation went ahead and she also met labour officials.