Could change finally be on FIFA's agenda following the announcement that their own ethics committee is to investigate Gianni Infantino for what was a blatant breach of their stated political neutrality during the massively stage-managed/ orchestrated draw for the 2026 World Cup? An event that included the awarding of a first ever ‘FIFA Peace Prize’ to a more than slightly dubious recipient...
We can only hope that this is a massive wake-up call to a man more interested in feathering his own nest and satisfying his own ego, not to mention those of his, iffy at best, choice of friends. Infantino certainly seems more interested in his associates than the interests of the FIFA member nations and the game it was founded to give an international voice to!
Anyone who watched the whole sorry farce unfold will have noted the comparative lack of input from Canada and Mexico next to their noisier neighbour- Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Claudia Scheinbaum were given little to do but ceremonially draw out their own countries and speak when spoken to by arguably the best actor on the stage. Rio Ferdinand unsurprisingly proved rather wooden in that department while assisting with the sorting out of actual footballing matters, once people remembered that's why they were really there.
There's surely a case for saying a bigger deal should've been made of this being Mexico's unprecedented third time hosting, not to mention Canada's first, but not a peep was uttered in relation to either 1970 or '86. Then again, there wasn't a sausage on USA '94 either, the draw for which then- President Bill Clinton stayed away from in stark contrast to his now two-time successor in the White House.
Sadly, if there's a moment from World Cups past all this can be compared to, it's probably Diana Ross and her missed penalty. Football definitely not the winner here once again, though the wider world can at least take some heart from the fact that what would have been intended by Infantino and his orange friend as a bit of mutual back-scratching was inadvertently shown up as the farce it was...
The Four Square campaign group subsequently wrote a letter of complaint which most likely forced FIFA to take a look at itself with a few crucial and fairly damning points.
"The award of a prize of this nature to a sitting political leader is in, and of itself, a clear breach of Fifa's duty of neutrality,"
One which surely cannot be left unsanctioned taking into account the open goal the presenter of the award walked into, with a few eyebrow- raising statements in his speech honouring the man he's seemingly become something of a stooge to since the current World Cup was awarded to the North American coalition.
"This is what we want from a leader" and "you can always count, Mr President, on my support" were the snippets which have unsurprisingly proved more than a little problematic and ‘should’ be added to what cumulatively ‘should’ by now be a massive pile of evidence against FIFA's latest more than slightly dodgy President. Four Square's campaign director Nicholas McGeehan was bang on the money in his summing up of the ramifications of the whole sorry affair.
"This complaint is about a lot more than Infantino's support for President Donald Trump's political agenda. More broadly this is about how Fifa's absurd governance structure has allowed Gianni Infantino to openly flout the organisation's rules and act in ways that are both dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world's most popular sport."
And then there's the not inconsequential matter of the majority of old Don's own acceptance speech being absolute guff!
"This is truly one of the great honours of my life. Gianni has done an incredible job. It is a nice tribute to you and the game of football, or as we call it soccer. It is beyond the numbers we thought were possible. The world is a safer place now. The USA was not doing well a year ago; now we are the hottest country in the world right now."
Sadly, complimentary sickbags weren't on offer at the Kennedy Centre that night.
Remarkably, the draw was the first time the three leaders had actually met in person, discussing trade as well as the beautiful game.
It's arguably Mexico's president who summed up the benefits to her country best, saying in the process of confirming all World Cup-related projects were on schedule that "This is not only a time to see the best soccer but also a time to share with the world who we are, what Mexico is -- not only a country of immense cultural richness but also a country experiencing a historic moment.”
Carney, her Canadian equivalent, was a touch more prosaic in referring to the percentage of his country's population who'd watched their team on TV at home as well as football's growing hold of the sporting landscape.
“Two-thirds of (Canada) watched the last World Cup. It is the biggest of deals. It's the number one sport for Canadian boys and girls. Two thirds of the country watched the last World Cup. There's more than 200 nationalities in Canada, more than 200 nationalities in FIFA. The top 48 are coming to North America. It is going to be the biggest deal ever.”
The World Cup expansion to forty-eight teams meant that nearly every FIFA member deemed even halfway good enough, apart from Italy, could get in on the action! Further evidence that it really isn't all about the football, and another charge to be added to Gianni Infantino's ever-growing rap sheet.
Away from all the political manoeuvring, we hoped that it would be the feet of the three hosts' players which did the talking once the tournament itself got underway. And on reflection, Mexico, USA and Canada can all be satisfied, if a little disappointed, that they all reached but then fell at the last sixteen stage of the tournament.
Still, at least the host nations won’t have to worry about receiving the latest garish attempt to Americanise the football, with the World Cup winners due to be gifted crass Superbowl-esque rings. Honestly Infantino, have you no shame?