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Man Utd's Fernandes criticizes World Cup: 'Should be done in a better way'

Matthew Ashton - AMA / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes said Sunday it will feel "strange" to play in a World Cup in November and December while lamenting the lives lost on construction sites in Qatar.

Speaking to Sky Sports after United's 2-1 win over Fulham, Fernandes - who will travel to the Gulf nation with his native Portugal - also took a veiled swipe at Qatar's anti-LGBTQ laws, saying football is "for everyone."

"It's strange. It's not exactly the time we want to be playing in the World Cup," the 28-year-old said. "Obviously, I think for everyone, players and fans, it's not the best time because kids will be at school, people will be working. The timing will not be the best for people to watch the games.

"We know the surroundings of the World Cup ... about the people that have died on the construction of the stadiums. We are not happy for that at all. We want football to be for everyone, and everyone has to be included and involved in a World Cup because a World Cup is the world. It's for everyone; it doesn't matter who."

FIFA rescheduled the World Cup from its usual running in June and July because of the blistering summer heat in Qatar, which won the right to host the tournament in 2010 against the backdrop of allegations of corruption. A long-running FBI investigation into money laundering and fraud continues.

More than 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar in the 12 years since FIFA awarded the country the World Cup, according to a 2021 report from The Guardian.

More recently, human rights groups have called on FIFA to set up a workers' compensation fund totaling $440 million for the families of loved ones who died or suffered an injury while working on Qatar's biggest projects.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended Qatar in October, saying it's suffering from "prejudice that sadly still exists." But Fernandes made clear that the World Cup shouldn't come at the cost of anyone - let alone lives.

"These kinds of things should not happen at any time," the midfielder added. "But for a World Cup, it's more than football, it's a party for fans, players, and something that's a pure joy to watch should be done in a better way.

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