More than half a year before the World Cup, the perception has not changed at all. The world football association FIFA and Qatar have to defend themselves more fiercely than ever for the organization of the football party in the oil state. Rules about shoes, memories of Putin and unanswered questions don’t help.
“Please note that Adidas – the official sponsor of the World Cup – or non-branded shoes are strongly recommended for people who do not wear city shoes.”
Welcome to the draw for the World Cup in Qatar.
Can it be called symbolic that even the dress code for the media is aimed at pleasing the heavily paying sponsor?
In recent months, FIFA has failed to convince critics that the sporting still takes precedence over the financial.
For example, the World Football Association announced the collaboration with a first crypto partner last week. A million-dollar deal, which is sensitive since a bitcoin transaction currently still costs 2,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. It is at odds with the “climate strategy” that FIFA likes to use.
With the dollars in mind, the football superpower also chased a World Cup every two years. A look at the accounts of the organization shows that it only turns (a huge) profit in the years of a world championship. Then a doubling of the number of World Cups is particularly attractive, despite the many disadvantages.
Only the opponents – especially the European association UEFA – seem to be winning. FIFA president Gianni Infantino even stated yesterday with his tail between his legs that “Fifa has never proposed a biennial World Cup”.
Putin as guest of honor
FIFA is feeling the pressure on some tricky issues. Especially now that the sports world is under a magnifying glass after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Increasingly, the term “Sportswashing” comes to the fore during international political debates.
Amnesty International describes it as follows: “A country that wants to polish its image by organizing a prestigious sporting event or by purchasing or sponsoring a sports team and to cover up that there is a lot wrong with respecting human rights.”
Think Roman Abramovich and Chelsea. Gazprom’s sponsorship deals. But also the awarding of the World Cups to Russia and Qatar.
At FIFA, they are currently thinking with shame on the last World Cup draw, more than four years ago. At the time, President Infantino stood in Moscow, still smiling broadly, shaking hands with Vladimir Putin.
It didn’t age well.
Unanswered questions
Will Qatar be different?
More than half a year before the World Cup, many questions remain unanswered. Yesterday only major international anti-discrimination groups distributed a joint communiqué. In it, they complain that they have been waiting for 15 months for an answer from the organizing committee about the safety of LGBTIQ + people during the World Cup.
During the FIFA congress, there was a clash between Norwegian and Qatari representatives. Lise Klaveness, former international and president of the Norwegian Football Association, exposed several pain points during her speech. Such as the working conditions of workers, the discrimination against women in Qatar and the legal convictions of homosexuals in the country.
Hassan El Thawadi, CEO of the World Cup organization, fiercely counterattacked: “It really bothers me that someone is selling all prejudices as facts,” it sounded. “You did not contact us, you did not want to enter into a dialogue. That is difficult to accept, because we are always open to criticism.”
There will be plenty more.
But first they will draw lots in Qatar.
