The Women’s World Cup kicked off amidst one of the largest scandals in FIFA’s history. Yet while the event seemed to distance itself from the simmering scandal looming 4,000 miles away, the FIFA corruption investigation was undoubtedly intertwined with the proceedings of the recent World Cup.
In spite of the corruption scandals revolving around FIFA and a lawsuit against organizers regarding artificial turf, the tournament ended in a triumphant celebration, dominating worldwide television ratings and bringing together a whopping total attendance of 1.35 million spectators. One could argue that the World Cup showcased the good in a sport that some had started to believe was rotten to the core.
But for FIFA, it’s back to reality. The organization is the target of a U.S. Justice Department corruption investigation. There was a stark reminder of more possible turbulence ahead as strong moans echoed through the stadium when it was announced FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou would present the trophy. Normally that task falls to soon-to-be-ex FIFA president Sepp Blatter, but he opted not to come due to corruption investigations regarding the fact that FIFA awarded World Cup hosting rights to Russia and Qatar for the 2018 and 2022 men’s tournaments.
At some moments, FIFA’s scandal overshadowed the Women’s World Cup. For example, at the first FIFA press conference of the tournament, journalists pestered FIFA official about the investigation and almost completely ignored women’s soccer. It is definitely a shame, because this is the biggest women’s sporting event on the globe, one of the few chances for some of the world’s best female athletes to compete among themselves.
FIFA faced criticism over the course of the tournament, particularly over the artificial turf. Last year, U.S. forward Abby Wambach led a group of players who filed a legal claim in Canada, saying that the artificial turf was nothing less than gender discrimination because the men’s event would never be staged on fake grass. It’s already been confirmed that the next World Cup, held four years from now in France, will be held on real grass.
The timing was simply unfortunate. The FIFA Congress in Zurich gave us the perfect chance to arrest a group of corrupt leaders, but once the games began, fans turned their attention back to the field. Fans have grown tired of admissions, indictments and everything else the investigators are going for. At this point, they truly needed an on-field distraction and the Women’s World Cup surely served that role. However, as usual, the presence of FIFA, corruption and scandal was certainly felt in the competition.
Contact Rishab Ramapriyan at rishabram ‘at’ gmail.com.