Government spokesman Olivier Véran said on Friday that it would be "complicated" to give up now on organizing the World Cup in Qatar.
But he welcomed the evolution of "mentalities" on the issue of climate change.
"My conviction is that if we had to make such a decision, today we would not give the World Cup to Qatar, most likely given the climate issue," he said on RTL.
Asked about former President François Hollande who assured Thursday that if he was still president, he would not go there, Olivier Véran did not answer on the probability of a trip by President Emmanuel Macron there.
"What was decided ten years ago by a hundred countries in the world, which was accompanied for ten years, it's complicated a few weeks from the start to say all of a sudden: in fact, there is no must not do it, ”said the minister.
Critics on the left
"Ten years ago, the first reactions were: 'will footballers be able to play well in stadiums where it is very hot, even if they are air-conditioned?' is "is it reasonable to air-condition stadiums in the current period?", that means that mentalities have changed and I'll tell you: so much the better, "he rejoiced.
Less than two months before the World Cup (November 21-December 18), criticism is increasing on the left of this organization.
“No to the filthy cup”: the LFI deputies in particular castigated Thursday the “mistreatment of immigrant workers” and the “air-conditioned matches in the open air”, demanding a “strong political response from the French authorities”.
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