US gay footballer blasts FIFA for World Cups in Russia and Qatar

US gay footballer blasts FIFA for World Cups in Russia and Qatar. Robbie Rogers

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Robbie Rogers, known for his homosexuality, said in a recent interview that the decision to hold the World Cup in 2018 in Russia and in Qatar in 2022 was a mistake that the FIFA made. According to the athlete, both Russia and Qatar do not respect humanitarian values.

"I think about the role that FIFA plays and their sensitivity to the LGBT community -- not only the LGBT community but to human rights in different countries. I mean, if you read their mission statement on their website it talks about using football to promote education and human rights. So to then to have the World Cup in countries that don't support human rights and especially the LGBT community, of course it crosses my mind. I think now they should bring up the topic and they should start speaking to FIFA about creating a guideline of what a country needs to have to have a World Cup. There needs some kind of guideline of how to protect the athletes and gay fans," Rogers said. 

Earlier, representatives of the International Federation of Football Association called on the head of FIFA to put pressure on both Russia, where "there are questions about the new law on the LGBT community" and Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.