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MANAMA, BAHRAIN – MAY 11: FIFA President Gianni Infantino talks to FIFA Council Member and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin (R) during the 67th FIFA Congress at the Bahrain International Congress & Convention Center on May 11, 2017 in Manama, Bahrain. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein – FIFA\/FIFA via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
FIFA via Getty Images<\/p>\n
In 2010, the U.S. bid to stage soccer\u2019s FIFA World Cup, losing out on the right to host the 2022 tournament after political maneuvering <\/a> by others led to Qatar eventually securing the hosting rights.<\/p>\n This marked the start of the Gulf region\u2019s rise as a soccer power, with Qatar Airways<\/a> and Saudi Arabia\u2019s state-owned oil and gas corporation, Aramco<\/a>, now serving as FIFA sponsors, and the latter ultimately hosting the competition in 2034.<\/p>\n The power of geography \u2013 in this case physical, given the region\u2019s fossil fuel wealth<\/a> \u2013 is now widely recognized as a major influence on world soccer\u2019s governing body and its decisions.<\/p>\n The U.S.\u2019s Influence On Global Soccer<\/p>\n Yet the U.S.\u2019s allure never went away; indeed, following the 2010 decision, many in soccer felt that U.S. hosting of national team soccer\u2019s biggest event would eventually become a reality, something confirmed it when its successful bid<\/a> was announced in 2018.<\/p>\n Geography suggested that holding the mega event Stateside would be lucrative<\/a>, given the U.S.\u2019s position as the world\u2019s largest<\/a> domestic sports market, where consumers are among the most sophisticated anywhere, and producers are driven by market forces and profitability.<\/p>\n And so it proved to be, as this summer\u2019s tournament became the most commercially and financially successful in history: an event whose lineage stretched from Wall Street<\/a> in New York to Silicon Valley<\/a> in California.<\/p>\n FIFA\u2019s rollout of its dynamic ticket pricing strategy<\/a>, premised on free market economics and revenue generation, and enabled by digital technology, was a perfect illustration of this.<\/p>\n The governing body\u2019s embrace of all things American had already been foretold, as it moved both its financial and legal departments to Miami<\/a> \u2013 currently one of the world\u2019s most dynamic sport clusters.<\/p>\n Private Equity Plans Amplify Governance Concerns<\/p>\n This trajectory gained momentum when, in the weeks after the World Cup concluded, FIFA\u2019s president \u2013 Gianni Infantino \u2013 unveiled plans<\/a> to sell a portion of the World Cup to private equity investors, including a member of the Kushner family.<\/p>\n Figures indicate the deal would have raised $4.2 billion<\/a>, enabling FIFA to increase payments to its 211 member associations, with, for instance, financial allocations to African countries predicted to receive $2.16 billion<\/a> between 2027 and 2038.<\/p>\n Successive FIFA presidents have long known<\/a> that African nations<\/a> hold great sway in elections for the position; hence, several have routinely courted their support, often through financial inducements; indeed, Infantino faces a presidential vote in 2027.<\/p>\n Concerns about FIFA presidents\u2019 use of financial allocations to garner political support have blighted the organisation<\/a> for decades, prompting protracted discussions about its governance.<\/p>\n Infantino\u2019s private equity plan reignited the debate, resulting in three continental associations \u2013 the Asian Football Confederation, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football and Union of European Football Associations \u2013 accusing Infantino<\/a> of breaking trust “through deception”, fundamentally undermining “the integrity of [soccer], and the integrity of those elected to lead it”.<\/p>\n A Matter Of Global North And Global South?<\/p>\n Yet the geography of responses to Infantino\u2019s proposals reveals a clear Global North\/Global South<\/a> divide, with countries such as England, Germany and Norway withdrawing support for the president, whilst others including Lebanon, Nicaragua and Sudan have publicly supported him.<\/p>\n This sharp division reveals far more than concerns about a single FIFA initiative, the organization\u2019s president, or its activities, and poses a significant challenge for anyone who may ultimately seek to unseat Infantino from his position. <\/p>\n Countries from the Global South are commonly characterized<\/a> by low- to middle-income per capita; they are historically former colonies whose economic systems were shaped by exploitation; and, importantly in the context of FIFA, they are frequently underrepresented<\/a> in global governance.<\/p>\n As such, there is a tendency among such countries to view Europeans as arrogant and self-serving<\/a>, perhaps even neo-colonialist<\/a>, with a desire to at least maintain, or maybe even strengthen, their position of power.<\/p>\n Such power in football is enduring<\/a>, with Europe having been the home of football governance for more than a century and, more recently, its most lucrative market, with its key stakeholders seemingly intent on securing their position in a dynamic market and a changing world. <\/p>\n Global Governance In Focus<\/p>\n Or at least that\u2019s often the view from parts of the Global South, though it is somewhat ironic that a European-founded and European based governing body presided over by a Swiss-Italian is the answer to their concerns, implying a political co-dependency<\/a> between them <\/p>\n But this geographic dichotomy is not simply a matter of history, politics and economics; it is also one of values, with many Europeans questioning the authoritarian<\/a>, non-consultative nature of Infantino\u2019s approach to governance.<\/p>\n However, this is perhaps less of a concern in some countries than it is in others, particularly where the problems of economic disparity are acute. <\/p>\n