WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT FIFA
Future is going to pas
6/11/20263 min read
The International Federation of Association Football, or FIFA as we know it, is perhaps one of the most powerful non-governmental organizations in the world for decades. I myself, during my adolescence, thought it belonged to some government.
There's no denying that FIFA has built an unparalleled reputation in its 122 years of existence, being responsible for an event, the World Cup, which is not only the most watched sporting event globally but also the benchmark for all major events for years.
This reputation, however, has not prevented FIFA from being involved in controversies that, today, seem increasingly absurd. It all started with corruption scandals that led the organization to change its entire leadership, although in practice no one was truly punished. In 2014, we saw the pharaonic demands for stadium construction that left debts still unpaid in the country today. Now, we have a festival of absurdities that already overshadows the opening of the 2026 event.
Look, we're not talking about just any national event; we're talking about the largest sporting audience on the planet, with billions invested by an ever-increasing number of companies in a sport that, despite or because of its controversies, is only growing. It's no coincidence that we've reached 48 teams and 39 days of an event that began with only 13 in 1930.
The 2026 World Cup began with the release of a theme song created by AI in an absolutely careless and amateurish way, which led FIFA to hastily commission half a dozen new songs to erase the shame. But it didn't stop there.
What explains a referee being barred and sent back to his country with a diplomatic passport, a team not being allowed to sleep on American soil between games, another country being searched with sniffer dogs, among many other incidents? Disorganization, lack of communication, unpreparedness, or complicity?
We all know that the US is on a witch hunt against immigrants. That's right: we all know, and it didn't start yesterday: it's been going on since Trump's inauguration. So, what was done to prevent this from disrupting the World Cup? Nothing. It's the chronicle of a death foretold. Comedian Maurício Meirelles even predicted that Brazilian and Latin American fans would attend the games wearing European team jerseys to avoid ICE patrols. If he's right, the World Cup is the perfect moment to identify and hand over immigrants on a silver platter to the authorities. Is it?
You can argue, as Infantino did, that the laws of countries are sovereign and that FIFA cannot simply override them. I agree, but this problem of barring delegation members is just the tip of the iceberg.
The fact is, for me, it's undeniable that FIFA not only knew about this but doesn't care at all. It's clear that the organization's interest lies in power and money, and it believes it's possible, in 2026, to continue managing its business in a way incompatible with the values of the sport it claims to defend. Fair Play doesn't exist in FIFA's vocabulary.
If it weren't for the surreal passion the world has for football, FIFA's management model would have already collapsed. So many scandals and absurdities would have thrown the organization's reputation into the trash can. But that's not what we're seeing. Thanks to football and its brutal marketing spending, FIFA manages to escape accountability and the image of an incompetent manager. For how long?
I personally see football as an art in frank decline, where greed and commercial interest increasingly occupy the space of sportsmanship and the unpredictable. Not that it's FIFA's fault, but its model of prioritizing revenue at all costs is perfect for a sport run by entities and teams lacking any professionalism. What matters now is controversy and media space, increasingly dominated by social media. Sport is almost a problem and less and less the objective.
Would an ordinary company survive so much scandal? Would its products still be bought after all this? The Volkswagen Group can tell you: from leadership to crisis after the so-called Dieselgate.