Jens Bierschwale is a journalist of “Die Welt” writing on sports-related topics.
When the old white man of world football left the big stage, expectations were enormous. At the age of 79 and after 18 years in office, Sepp Blatter resigned as FIFA president on February 26, 2016. Accusations of cronyism and corruption were a constant companion of the era of Swiss egocentricity. Most observers thought that with his successor, Gianni Infantino, there would finally be transparency in the most important sports organization on the planet after the IOC (International Olympic Committee).
But these were vain hopes. Infantino is even more unscrupulous than his predecessor. The man, who hails from the Swiss canton of Valais, is one of the main reasons why football is becoming more and more distant from its fans, and FIFA has finally evolved into an organization where commercialism and turnover are the most important indicators of the sport – not goals and assists.
The world championships starting on Thursday are just another example of the dramatically wrong direction in the development of this sport.
Where once there was undivided joy at the start of a global competition, today most football fans feel only anger, fear and disinterest. Boundless infantilism deprives football of its soul and robs it of all credibility and ability to unite nations.
There's almost no sense of anticipation
In the latest Deutschlandtrend study conducted by Infratest Dimap on behalf of the ARD program “Tagesthemen” and “Die Welt”, only 32 percent respondents said they would follow the championship. 67 percent admitted that they are less interested in them or not interested in them at all – let's remember that we are talking about the most important event this sport has to offer.
Such moods prevail in the country of the four-time world champion, which is also confirmed by a current, although not representative, survey conducted on the “Die Welt” website. To the question “are you looking forward to the World Cup?” there were equally disappointing answers. Only 29 percent out of over 25 thousand voters answered “very much” or “somewhat”, while 71 percent — “almost not at all” or “not at all.”
It is difficult to attribute this to the dates of the matches, which are unattractive from a European point of view. For example, the German national team will play its opening match against Curacao in prime time, at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday evening. This indifference has other reasons: ticket, hotel and flight prices that even high-income earners cannot cover. This caused a significant number of fans to abandon their plans to travel to the match host countries (USA, Canada and Mexico) at the very beginning. Moreover, we are dealing with a gigantic edition of the World Championships, covering a total of 104 (!) matches.
Infantino and FIFA have commercialized this otherwise great event to the extreme. Not only football players have to endure the hardships of travel, but also fans who want to follow the struggles of their favorite teams in North and Central America. Awarding the organization of the World Cup to three host countries – as decided by the FIFA congress in 2018 – is simply out of time. Even before they start, it is known that the upcoming World Cup will be the most harmful to the climate in its history.
A series of flattery for Trump
In addition, there are horrendously high ticket prices. I will give just two examples. If someone wants to get one of the 4,500 tickets available to the German Football Association for the final on July 19, they must pay at least EUR 3,580 (PLN 15,200). The average ticket price for the World Cup is 433 euros (PLN 1,840) – Infantino considers this to be an appropriate amount. This shows the disturbing direction in which football, once described as an “ordinary” man's game, has developed under his leadership. The average fan cannot watch any of the 104 matches live – and remains frustrated.
There were 64 matches played during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Even then, the FIFA president showed embarrassing servility towards the organizers. Not only did Infantino move his second residence to Doha without hesitation, but he also had several memorable moments during the official opening press conference of the championship. The Swiss's hour-long monologue (which I heard live from a distance of 10 meters) was barely bearable. Only then were they allowed to ask questions. The king welcomed his subjects.
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In the USA, long before the championships started, an incident took place an incredible display of flattery from the head of FIFA. During the draw for the groups, Donald Trump received the FIFA Peace Prize from Infantino, created especially for the US president – of course, the cup is bigger than the trophy that the new world champion will receive. They are probably still cleaning the conference rooms today – such was Infantino's legacy of adulation. Many football fans still feel ashamed at the thought of the most powerful football referee in the world.
During this event, Trump also succumbed to his delusions of grandeur. — Can I tell you, Gianni, that if we determine that there are problems in Seattle, we will move the event? – he asked Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, whom he didn't like much. To the public's dismay, Infantino, standing next to him, did not protest. In this way, the ground was gradually prepared for the World Cup, which will never be able to become a celebration open to the world and uniting nations.
Instead of diplomacy, a big shrug
Instead, some sports athletes are gripped by open fears. Iran's national team, for example, can only enter the US on match days – then it must immediately return to team headquarters in Mexico. The president of the Iranian Football Association, Mehdi Taj, has not received a visa so far. He will be absent from the championship, as will Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry by the United States.
It's hard to imagine anything worse than the World Cup in the USA, a country ruled autocratically by Trump. 78 of the 104 matches will take place in a country that was once said to be a land of unlimited opportunities. Today it has become a nation that is no longer a reliable partner – neither in politics nor in sports.
Recent events should prompt Infantino and his organization to intervene and push for diplomatic solutions in the cases involving the Iranian team and the Somali referee. Instead of an intervention, however, there was only a big shrug of the shoulders. Unfortunately, this fits all too well into FIFA's decade under Infantino.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
