From the air-conditioned suites of Zurich to the doorstep of the White House, Gianni Infantino’s latest moves have sparked a firestorm of controversy. As geopolitical tensions rise, many are asking: has FIFA finally traded its neutrality for a seat at the political table? Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
The Ming dynasty had just collapsed in 1644, its emperor dead by his own hand after a rebel leader had toppled the status quo in the dynasty’s capital. Another force — the Manchu — were sweeping in from the north to camp at the eastern end of the Great Wall of China, where it meets the Bohai Sea.
The Manchu did not need to storm the fortifications; instead, they used a bribe to convince the commander of that section of the wall, Wu Sangui, to open the gates and allow passage. The general complied, lured by promises of political influence and grandiose titles, such as the "Prince who pacifies the West".
It remains one of history’s greatest betrayals.
Not to be flippant, but centuries later, in the air-conditioned suites of Zurich, a new “commander” is mirroring that ancient blunder. By introducing the Fifa Peace Prize amid a sea of controversial expansion and state-backed bidding wars, Gianni Infantino isn’t improving the world of football — he has simply opened the gates to the highest bidder.
With every passing day, honouring US president Donald Trump with that piddling monstrosity of an award, while seemingly bending the knee in subservience, becomes all the more embarrassing for the organisation. The recent US and Israeli war against Iran — a nation that had previously qualified for the upcoming Fifa World Cup but has since boycotted the event — only proves that Infantino, and by extension Fifa, have become an organisation that panders to the highest common denominator at the expense of the beautiful game.
Infantino has done everything to placate Trump. When the Fifa president awarded that “stool” of an honour unilaterally, he claimed Trump was “a leader who cares about people”.
Tell that to the families of those who died when the US extracted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in January, or the — as of Wednesday morning — nearly 800 Iranians, 11 Israelis, and six Americans who have passed away this week due to the escalation in Iran.
“My personality is going to keep us out of wars,” Trump once said, on the campaign trail.
“I am the candidate of peace,” and “I will stop the chaos in the Middle East,” he also promised.
Instead, he continues to destabilise the delicate geopolitical balance of world peace, himself seemingly captured by those with vested political and economic interests.
Now, to be clear, I am not endorsing any of these regimes. In many respects, they should all be treated as pariahs. I am merely pointing out the hypocrisy of Fifa and their president, who have politicised and bastardised the organisation while simultaneously claiming that football should not be treated as a tool of politics.
Fifa presidengt Gianni Infantino. Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
Much like Wu Sangui, who traded the gates of the Shanhai Pass for a title, Infantino has traded the moral sovereignty of the world’s game for a seat at the table of a “commander” who brings anything but stability.
Just recently, Infantino sat alongside Trump at a Board of Peace meeting, crowned by a red "45-47" baseball cap in a clear endorsement of an administration that goes beyond mere diplomacy.
Indeed, I would argue the adoration showered upon the White House has made Infantino and Fifa complicit. They, too, now have blood on their hands.
"We need events, we need occasions to unite the world," Infantino said, earlier this week while marking 100 days to go to the showpiece. "This world cup will truly unite the entire world ..."
But how can it, when Fifa has so clearly backed one ideology and worldview over another.
Moreover, the World Cup in the US, Mexico, and Canada is increasingly becoming more a political convention than a sporting event, and every charge of "sportswashing" against it is now undeniably valid.
Fifa, much like the Great Wall, was built to protect their interests, but it is only as strong as the man holding the keys. Right now, it seems Infantino will let anyone in.
As the beautiful game is traded for political clout in the suites of Zurich, one has to wonder: once the gates are opened for the "Prince who pacifies the West", can they ever be closed again?
* Morgan Bolton is the national sports editor of Independent Media and chief content coordinator for our YouTube channel The Clutch