Infantino faces ‘bloody watch’ London protest as campaigners warn three million dogs face World Cup slaughter
FIFA president Gianni Infantino was the focus of attention by animal welfare campaigners at football’s glittering Ballon d’Or ceremony that up to three million dogs are likely to face slaughter in Morocco ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
Protesters wearing masks of the FIFA chief descended on the London Palladium on Monday (October 26), accusing football’s governing body of failing to stop the killing despite assurances and a breach of contract by Morocco recorded in its own World Cup bid evaluation report.
Campaigners from the International Animal Welfare Protection Coalition (IAWPC) carried a stark red banner declaring: “On Infantino’s bloody watch, Morocco are killing 3 million dogs to prepare for the 2030 FIFA tournament”.
Below it was the message: “when dogs lose - no one wins”.
The demonstration brought the coalition’s Save Morocco’s Dogs campaign to one of football’s most prestigious occasions. The Ballon d’Or, presented by France Football and co-organised with UEFA, recognises the world’s outstanding footballers. This year’s ceremony was staged at the London Palladium.
But campaigners said the glamour surrounding the game must not obscure the suffering of animals in a country preparing to host its biggest tournament.
Morocco will co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal. After being given this honour, Morocco used it as the green light to go all out and increase the numbers of dogs already being inhumanely shot, poisoned and brutally captured and killed in order to cleanse the streets of community and owned dogs ahead of the competition.
The Coalition represents 84 animal welfare organisations worldwide, including the RSPCA, Dogs Trust and PETA. It says evidence supplied by Moroccan citizens shows clear inhumanity towards animals, through the country’s continuing brutal street dog killings, as well as the appalling conditions endured by dogs facing death, after being caught.
Debbie Wilson, vice chair of the IAWPC, said: “We came to the Ballon d’Or because the football community cannot afford to look away while dogs are relentlessly and mercilessly being shot, poisoned and dragged from the streets in a future World Cup host country.
“Behind the masks and the banner is a deadly serious message for Gianni Infantino: use your power for good and stop this suffering.
“FIFA’s own bid evaluation report records an assurance by Morocco, that 'animal culling has been prohibited in Morocco since August 2024'. Yet the IAWPC continues to receive constant evidence of dogs being killed. That assurance is a lie, and FIFA must stop allowing it to go unchallenged.
“These dogs are living, feeling beings. Many are loved and cared for by local people, including children. Their lives must not be treated as disposable rubbish in the pursuit of a football spectacle.”
The protest came amid wider scrutiny of Infantino’s leadership, which has continued since his election in 2026, to transform FIFA into a predatory commercial entity, that feeds off the game’s global appeal, causing or exacerbating a wide range of social harms.
On the night shocked football fans and dignitaries waiting to enter the venue were shocked to hear about the slaughter and FIFA's complicity.
UEFA has demanded answers to 42 questions covering 12 subjects, including an abandoned proposal to bring private investment into FIFA’s commercial operations and the FIFA Peace Prize.
Infantino apologised to FIFA’s ruling council earlier this month following the investment controversy. UEFA has sought answers by November 2, rather than waiting until the council’s December meeting. FIFA has said council discussions and related documents are confidential.
For the animal welfare coalition, the central question is what FIFA will do to enforce the commitments recorded during Morocco’s successful World Cup bid and STOP the killings.
FIFA’s November 2024 Bid Evaluation Report stated that “since August 2024 the culling of animals is prohibited in the country”, alongside assurances about resources for clinics and programmes supporting stray dogs.
The IAWPC says evidence gathered since then directly contradicts that claim. In July, it reported receiving footage apparently showing dogs being poisoned by injection in Kenitra and shot in public in Tinghir, alongside evidence of shootings in Jerada.
The Coalition argues that the continuing killings breach Morocco’s bid commitments and that FIFA has failed to hold the host country accountable.
Its campaign calls for an immediate end to the killing and inhumane treatment of free-roaming dogs, alongside a properly funded national humane dog management programme, that includes Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return programme delivered with animal welfare experts.
It also demands an end to authority-run kill shelters and adequate food, clean water, veterinary treatment and humane care for every dog held in a pound.
Professional footballers around the world and currently silent, are being urged by the IAWPC to raise their voices over what is happening in Morocco with their clubs, national teams, football associations and Infantino himself and to use their public platforms to demand action.
The Coalition says the sport’s influence could help turn international outrage into protection for animals whose suffering has continued despite promises of change. It should also be remembered by FIFA and the world of football generally, that no one owns football, it is the common property of all humanity and in a world of violence and conflict, good over evil must always come first.
Campaign information: https://www.iawpc.org/
