Extortionate tickets and matches moved at Trump’s whim: are you ready for the ‘greatest World Cup ever’? | Marina Hyde
In the latest twist of the ongoing saga surrounding FIFA, the relationship between the organization’s president Gianni Infantino and U.S. politics has come under scrutiny. Infantino, who has often claimed that politics should remain separate from football, was recently spotted in the Oval Office, nodding in agreement with President Trump’s controversial statements regarding the upcoming World Cup. Trump suggested that matches could potentially be relocated from host cities if he perceives issues with security or compliance, particularly targeting cities run by Democrats. This raises questions about the integrity of FIFA’s governance and its willingness to engage with political agendas, especially when juxtaposed against the backdrop of previous tournaments held in less-than-ideal conditions in countries like Qatar and Russia.
Marina Hyde, a prominent columnist for The Guardian, reflects on the disheartening trajectory of FIFA under Infantino’s leadership. She draws parallels between Infantino and his predecessor, Sepp Blatter, who was ousted in 2015 amid a massive corruption scandal. Hyde expresses disbelief that the organization could be led by someone perceived as even more problematic than Blatter, highlighting the irony of Infantino’s statements about political neutrality while he appears to be aligning himself with a politically charged narrative in the U.S. This situation underscores the complexities of international sports governance, where the intersection of politics and football often leads to contentious outcomes. As the World Cup approaches, the implications of these political entanglements could have far-reaching effects on the tournament’s integrity and the reputation of FIFA itself.
You may have thought Qatar and Russia were tournament lows. You didn’t account for the US president and his Fifa soulmate, Gianni Infantino
“It’s very clear,” claimed haunted Fifa cue-ball Gianni Infantino
not so long ago
, “that politics should stay out of football and football should stay out of politics.” But is it clear? Is it really? On Monday, the worst man in world sport was – yet again – to be
found in the Oval Office
, this time nodding along to Trump’s declaration that games could be moved from host cities for next summer’s World Cup if the US president deems there’s “a problem” with security or that the cities are non-compliant in some other way. In practice, that seems to mean if they’re run by a Democrat/“communist”. Amazing that the Fifa president will gladly allow his tournaments to be held in any old violent autocracy but, for the purposes of the White House cameras at least, might need to draw the line at Boston.
Honestly, the very sight of Infantino these days causes decades of writing about Fifa to flash before my eyes. How could it have happened? How could we have ended up with an even bigger horror in charge of world football’s governing body than the various ones who went before? When
Sepp Blatter was thrown
from a moving gravy train in 2015 amid an explosive corruption scandal, it would have felt like a genuine feat of sporting excellence to have beaten his record for craven awfulness.
Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist
A year in Westminster: John Crace, Marina Hyde and Pippa Crerar
On Tuesday 2 December, join Crace, Hyde and Crerar as they look back at another extraordinary year, with special guests, live at the Barbican in London and livestreamed globally. Book tickets
here
or at
guardian.live
Continue reading…
