World football governing body FIFA’s credibility lie in tatters, torn apart by its own culture of double-standards and a perennial alignment with the powerful Western nations over the so-called developing economies.
Oftentimes FIFA has been able to get away with murder due to the sly and cunning way of the organization’s complex operations. In short, when it comes to FIFA – what you see is not what you get. You can ask the Russians, Palestinians and now the Iranians.
I do not care much about FIFA’s rules and regulations, as long as the organisation applied its policies equally among all affiliated football federations. Coming from the background of colonialism and apartheid, I know discrimination when it rears its ugly head.
Allow me to return later – if you will – to a time a few years ago when FIFA banned Russia from all participation in its competitions over the country’s war on Ukraine in 2022.
Let me start where we are as things stand: Iran’s national soccer team may yet be denied entry into the US, or at least some members of the team – players and/or officials alike – due the interference of the US government – by commission or omission – into the running of FIFA affairs.
By yesterday, Iran World Cup squad issued a statement saying: “Iran players…are still waiting for their US visas.”
The US State Department and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been unflinching in their imposition of restrictions on the movement of the Iranian national soccer team. The US has already denied the Iranians the right to stay inside the country during the tournament.
As a result, the Iranians have had to move their camp from Arizona to Mexico. All of Iran’s games are scheduled to take place on US soil. The games are in Group G against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, and then against Egypt in Seatle on June 26.
However, the Trump administration has decreed as undesirable that the Iranians can stay in the US during the tournament.
For the uninitiated, the US with Israel in tow launched a war of choice on Iran on February 28, assassinating Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated by attacking US military bases and other interests across the Gulf States, which harbour US military bases. Efforts at peace are yet to succeed.
Suddenly, President Donald Trump has discovered that it may be easy to start a war, but difficult to end it.
Whilst the Iranians would be in their camp in Mexico, the world will wait with bated breath to see who in the Iranian entourage the Americans will grant visas to enter the “land of the free”.
Secretary Rubio has said anyone in the Iranian camp– players or officials, found to have links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will not be allowed to “embed” and enter the US.
If these shenanigans were taking place at a time that has nothing to do with FIFA World Cup, I would have no reason to take umbrage at the US government. However, under FIFA’s own regulations, the US government – as hosts – are legally bound to enable all participating teams a smooth passage.
According to FIFA’s own statutes, it is stated: “When a country wins the right to host the FIFA World Cup, it signs a legally binding Host Government Agreement with FIFA. This agreement unequivocally obligates the host nation to guarantee free, unhindered entry, visas, and fair treatment for all qualified teams, officials, and delegations, while strictly prohibiting any discrimination based on nationality, politics or religion.”
Thus far, before the games commence on June 11, the US government appear to have ripped the script to pieces, and not done yet. As I said, the international community is waiting with bated breath to see what next the US authorities will do to inadvertently expose FIFA’s blatant hypocrisy.
Until this day, the Russian Football Federation is barred from participating in FIFA’s activities due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. It is a determination that one assumes FIFA made and reached independently. Now, to agree or disagree with the decision is immaterial at this point.
In my book, the first glaring instance of FIFA’s double-standards was when Israel waged a methodological extermination of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. This caused South Africa to haul Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, accusing the Jewish State of genocide.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has since issued a warrant of arrest for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu et-al.
Despite the above, FIFA allowed Israel to participate in the world cup qualifiers. Luckily, Israel failed to qualify. But here’s the stinker: FIFA has turned a blind eye to Israel’s annihilation of the entire population of the Palestinians. The Jewish State is still firmly in FIFA’s fold, facing no sanctions, not even verbal criticism from the hypocrites who run FIFA.
When it comes to the US, the arrogance is shocking, and FIFA’s silence is sheer unadulterated disgrace.
I cannot see how FIFA will come out of this mess with their integrity intact under the current two-faced President, Gianni Infantino. He took over from Sepp Blatter following accusations of corruption, and promised clean governance. Yet what the world sees today is raw dirt in public. No attempt to conceal their shameful leadership of the world’s greatest sport.
Had FIFA been led by upright men and women instead of the wolves in sheep’s skin, their application of policy, rules and standards would be consistent with their purported principles of good governance they promised when they first took office.
Judging by what FIFA has accused Russia when kicking them out, Israel has committed crimes multiple-fold worse by comparison.
The US, too, for the invasion of Iran which global legislators say is an affront to international law, should have been barred from hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In addition, the shameless penchant to break every rule in FIFA’s constitution should have been enough to disqualify the US from playing such inhospitable host.
In my book, FIFA’s double-standards show the power and influence of the US-led Western hegemony in the global world order. The loud silence of the Western media over FIFA’s shortcomings, and the blatant transgression of FIFA rules by the Trump administrations, leaves too much to be desired.
It emphasises the belief in Asia and across the Majority World that international law is nothing but a fluke. George Elliot was correct in his observation in Animal Farm when he noted that “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”. Hence, in FIFA’s sickening culture under the chameleon that is Infantino, what you do on the left, you don’t do on the right – and vice-versa.
It is my wish, nay, my prayer, that in the coming days the Trump administration will continue to expose FIFA more, proving that we’ve been lied to – FIFA is a geopolitical “leopard that can’t change its spots”.
With reluctant thanks to the Trump administration, FIFA’s nefarious agenda and activities are all out in the open, inadvertently exposed and more still coming, judging by Secretary Rubio’s foul mood. This must mark the beginning of the end for Infantino’s reign. You’ve been warned. Watch this space.
