As the appeal of the World Cup keeps increasing, its organizing body, FIFA, may have never been as unpopular as they are now. So, why is soccer still dependent on FIFA? And can anything be done about it?
The attention of the global audience has turned yet again toward the World Cup. Primarily, it is focused on Lionel Messi's scoring achievements, a
Goalkeeper from Cape Verde who became famous
or viral videos featuring supporters.
It’s a common and reasonable shift away from the main topics leading up to the event. Several Argentine supporters were unable to get visas to join the tournament and witness Messi achieving something remarkable. Vozinha's mother received an exception to enter the country only after her son's impressive performance with Cape Verde. The spectators captured on camera are typically among the fortunate ones who can afford such trips.
outrageous ticket prices.
The connection between Infantino and Trump has damaged confidence in FIFA
The choice to present U.S. President Donald Trump with FIFA's first-ever Peace Award in December, just prior to him initiating hostilities against Iran, which was participating in the event, allegedly occurred unilaterally and has damaged confidence inside and beyond the organization.
With the upcoming competition featuring matches across Europe, Africa, and South America to enable FIFA to distribute the
The 2034 competition will be held in Saudi Arabia
Unchallenged, Infantino is poised to surpass the standard presidential term limit of 12 years once more, seemingly facing little opposition, leading to heightened dissatisfaction with FIFA, as noted by numerous analysts. However, is there anything that can be done?
What methods does FIFA use to sustain its authority?
The FIFA oversees the worldwide growth of the sport but also functions as its commercial manager, a structure that numerous sports administration specialists challenge.
The World Cup serves as its main source of revenue, although the newly-updated and
expanded Club World Cup
has now become another major factor. This rivalry has resulted in numerous grievances from athletes and their union representatives regarding a
busy schedule with excessive requirements.
"Personally, I don't believe the players receive much attention," stated
Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and English forward Harry Kane
before last year's event.
In terms of structure, all 211 member countries—organized into six regional federations—are granted one voting right for the president every four years. These national associations subsequently receive financial incentives, varying in amount, via different initiatives and projects.
"The financial aspect forms the foundation of FIFA's structure of authority. Funds are utilized by leaders to gain and strengthen their influence," said Miguel Maduro, who previously served as chairperson of FIFA's Governance and Review Committee, according to Ants. He left his position in 2017 following an effort to implement political neutrality regulations concerning Russia.
This is what sustains the system of favoritism where presidents reward supporters and penalize those who dare to speak out against them. It clarifies why current presidents face no opposition and remain in office for life.
Is it possible for politics and the European Union to compel FIFA to make changes?
Similar to Maduro, Nick McGeehan from the human rights organization FairSquare believes that any reforms must be enforced onto FIFA. As individual national members lack both motivation and capacity to push for changes, he is urging the European Union to step in and lead the effort.
"Political involvement is necessary. There's no alternative to fixing FIFA," he said to Ants.
I believe the clearest instance would be the European Union, which has the capability to oversee and manage sports similarly to how they handle sectors such as major technology companies.
Fair Square has submitted a grievance to the Investigatory Panel of FIFA's Ethics Committee regarding Infantino's interactions with Trump, while simultaneously, the fan organization Football Supporters Europe (FSE) and the consumer advocacy group Euroconsumers have also taken action.
submitted a grievance regarding ticket costs to the European Commission just prior to the World Cup.
A representative from the Commission declined to comment on whether the EU could confront FIFA, stating only that the complaint filed by FSE and Euroconsumers was being handled "according to our usual processes."
Asked if they might get involved in the
numerous controversial methods of obtaining World Cup tickets
The representative continued by confirming that EU regulations "do not set specific prices for products and services, including concert tickets." However, they also mentioned: "Businesses are required to clearly communicate the full cost of their offerings to customers and refrain from deceptive marketing tactics, like promoting appealing initial ticket prices that aren’t actually accessible or using aggressive sales methods when people are waiting in an online line."
Although concrete political steps have been scarce up until now, McGeehan still holds onto optimism.
A politician will emerge somewhere who sees the political benefit in confronting individuals and genuinely holding them responsible. I find this idea very thrilling, as I believe it is unavoidable at present.
Could conflicts between UEFA and FIFA lead to a split?
Although it functions within FIFA's framework, underlying conflicts persist between FIFA and the influential European organization, UEFA. These issues became evident when UEFA recruited
Somalian referee Omar Artan
for the Super Cup match, just days following his rejection from entering the United States to referee during the World Cup.
"Football serves as a means to bring individuals together," stated UEFA Chairman Aleksander Ceferin.
Last year, representatives from UEFA left the FIFA Congress, alleging that Infantino was focusing on "personal political goals," following his delayed return from a diplomatic trip to the Middle East with Trump.
"Tensions exist between UEFA and FIFA, with UEFA being a major federation representing some of the largest and most historically significant football countries. Therefore, if there were ever a split in world football, it would likely originate from UEFA or several of its member nations," said Geoff Walters, a professor of sports business at the University of Liverpool in the UK, during an interview with Ants.
However, within the realm of football politics, it's challenging to stand out as an individual because you risk being criticized harshly. If you choose to speak up, what does that imply? Will it negatively impact your prospects of hosting events, which could offer advantages? Could it result in your exclusion from the global community?
Germany serves as an illustration of this situation. Following the team covering their mouths with a political statement during their initial game in Qatar,
The team and federation have withdrawn their backing from political initiatives
The group and association have scaled down their involvement with political issues
The squad and organization have reduced their endorsement of ideological campaigns
The crew and union have lessened their commitment to advocacy efforts
The collective and governing body have distanced themselves from activist movements
potentially with an intention to submit a bid for the 2034 or 2038 World Cup.
The UEFA faced the challenge of an elite-clubs-led proposed Super League in 2021 and also encountered
the legal matters that arose afterward.
Maduro stated that the organization "experiences similar management issues as FIFA, though in a more subtle and less extreme way."
What does a FIFA split mean for the rest of the globe?
The perception of UEFA among global governing bodies might have suffered due to Ceferin's recently publicized remarks suggesting that the enlarged World Cup will result in many games being "totally boring." A group consisting of 13 national football associations from Africa and Asia expressed their strong disagreement with these statements attributed to Ceferin in his home country of Slovenia through the publication Zurnal 24.
The influence and authority of Europe and South America, notably Brazil and Argentina, seems less formidable when contrasted with Infantino's stronghold in Asia and Africa. Walters mentioned this as yet another factor making a split highly unlikely.
What would occur to smaller nations around the globe if this initiative were led by major countries? How would this affect their capacity to grow football within their own nations?
This is one of the difficulties within international sports, not only during the World Cup but also across various athletic competitions, as larger teams aim to expand their influence and separate themselves from others. Their objective is to secure the biggest portion of the financial gains and revenue generated by the sport.
Is FIFA accessing regions that others cannot?
Although several people challenge these business intentions,
Infantino
maintains that they serve the bigger picture
claims they are for the overall benefit
argues that they are in the best interest of all
asserts that their actions are for the common welfare
states that they are acting in the public's favor
upholds that they are working towards a better future
emphasizes that they are doing what's right for everyone
contends that their intentions are aimed at improving things
reiterates that they believe these measures are necessary for the collective good
affirms that they think this is beneficial for society as a whole
Each dollar we earn is reinvested into football," he said to journalists before the start of the competition. "If we sold our television rights to paid services, like others do, we'd make four times more income. We could even offer all the tickets for free, yet they would still find their way onto the illegal market.
Being the FIFA president, we must find a middle ground. We put resources into nations that others overlook—South Sudan, Bhutan. Nobody else is focusing on these places.
So far, this remains accurate. In terms of football, no one else possesses the authority or financial resources. Considering how deeply FIFA is embedded in the sport, the likelihood of a split appears low. Although dissatisfaction has never been greater, without a federation, an alliance of nations, or a notable figure taking action, the prospects for change remain barely more promising than they were previously.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold
Author: Matt Pearson
