FIFA Has The Worst Sports Idea I’ve Ever Heard
Some people say there are no bad ideas. These people have likely never met FIFA president Gianni Infantino, whose latest plan for creating unity through football could be a storyline on VEEP or 30 Rock.
While he’s been jetsetting around the Americas to watch games in the newly expanded FIFA World Cup, Infantino’s organization released some eye catching plans for a September youth festival, being held in the United States. It will be the inaugural edition of this tournament for under-15 teams and, as per NYT, FIFA wish to begin with a match between Israel and Palestine.
Although Infantino hasn’t directly commented on the potential matchup, he has a very awkward history around using his position to insert himself into the famously torrid and controversial Middle Eastern conflict. In FIFA’s annual Congress in Vancouver back in April, the president of the organization tried to convince Jibril Raoub and Basim Sheikh Suliman, respectively representatives of the Palestinian and Israeli Football Associations, to share a moment on stage.
Yikes…
Raoub, the Association president, was particularly taken aback by Infantino’s actions, leading to a long and intense looking conversation on stage between the pair. All the while the Israeli Association vice president Suliman stood alone, with a big chunk of the empty stage between himself and the other two. The pair of representatives had already both addressed the room.
Infantino shook off the awkwardness in characteristic style, by taking the opportunity to be the centre of attention once more. He began speaking about the upcoming festival, for which he said FIFA would “invite all 211 countries to participate,” before adding “let’s work together, you have my commitment.”
There is a beauty in the notion that something as simple as 22 players kicking a ball about could suture such a deep wound, and the idea plays on the heartstrings in the same way the famous game of football during the Christmas truce does. But Infantino represents the morally bankrupt, profit-hungry side of the beautiful game, so it’s unlikely this is anything other than an emperor asking for compliments on his non-existent robe.
In the refined, money washed world of global sports, perhaps the sort of performative gesture FIFA are attempting to enforce on the public with this potential game does work. In the real world, the suffering of Palestinians continues on a dreadful scale. Maybe FIFA could use their billions to address that in practical ways.
(featured image: The White House)
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