I can’t claim to be a huge fan of FIFA or Fédération Internationale de Football Association to give it its full title. The utterly worthless FIFA “Peace Prize” that its president, Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino, presented to Donald Trump was probably the last straw for me. The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be played in Canada, Mexico and the USA this summer and Infantino is just the licking sycophant that Trump loves. Will the tournament go ahead? Will some games be switched from the USA to Canada, Mexico, Denmark or Greenland? Will the teams who have qualified be allowed to bypass Trump’s visa quirks? Will these teams’ fans be allowed to enter the USA? Bottom line will this be Trump’s Berlin 36?

Let’s not forget what Infantino did to deserve a Foot in the Mouth Award. His was awarded for “his justification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup being held in Qatar despite concerns over the country’s human rights record: ‘Today I have very strong feelings. Today, I feel Qatari. Today, I feel Arab. Today, I feel African. Today, I feel gay. Today, I feel disabled. Today, I feel a migrant worker. I feel all this because what I have been seeing and what I have been told, since I don’t read, otherwise I will be depressed.'” It might also mention what Trump says about his co-hosts, the Mexican people , (“They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”) What could possibly go wrong?

I was just musing all this and the debacle that I fear the World Cup will be when my inbox pinged. It was Clare McEwen, my expert on all things women’s football with a list of FIFA failings. I have to admit not to knowing all of these and thought they needed more eyeballs. Don’t expect to be impressed…..I wasn’t!

“1971

Trying to stop the 1971 unofficial Mexico World Cup (Copa ’71). Since Fifa weren’t interested in anything other than stopping women’s football, a group of Italian businessmen had been successfully setting up women’s international tournaments for several years.

None were more successful than Copa ’71 when 110,000 people packed into the Azteca stadium to watch the final.

But if Fifa had had their way, this historic event would never have happened. They tried to ban it.

1991

Having reluctantly organised a successful World Cup test event in 1988, Fifa announced their Women’s World Cup would begin in 1991.

But they still didn’t trust it would be a success so didn’t use their “World Cup” brand to name it; just in case it devalued it. Instead it was known by the catchy name “1st FIFA World Championship for Women’s Football for the M&M’s Cup”.

They only called it the Fifa Women’s World Cup when they decided it wouldn’t cost them anything and could make them money.

1999

In 1999, Fifa tried to persuade the U.S. to hold their World Cup matches in smaller, local stadiums rather than their giant American football stadiums.

They didn’t believe the women could fill the stadiums so told the local organisers they would only take responsibility for filling smaller stadiums. If the U.S. organisers wanted to use big stadiums, they had to take on the risk themselves. Presumably that meant Fifa would only cover costs for smaller venues.

The U.S. organisers and the U.S. team backed themselves and successfully filled massive stadiums. The final was played at the enormous Rose Bowl in Pasadena and 90,000 people watched it.

2015

Canada hosted the 2015 Fifa World Cup amid controversy: the matches were all played on artificial grass, a surface that would never be used for a men’s World Cup.

The players believed the surfaces would lead to higher injury risks and a group of them filed a lawsuit against it.

They noted that men wouldn’t play on the pitches, so why choose it for a women’s World Cup. They called out the discrimination.

They cited the precedent when in 1994, for the U.S. men’s World Cup, Fifa spent $2 million planting actual grass over artificial grass in some stadiums.

Fifa made it clear that there was no plan B and artificial pitches were all they had. The competition was played – for the only time – on artificial grass.

2019

**Fifa introduced new penalty laws for the 2019 World Cup, showing some more discrimination. Laws of the Game don’t normally get changed for major tournaments, instead they’re tested in smaller events. Fifa were suggesting the Women’s World Cup could be the guinea pig. Not cool, Fifa, not cool.**”

If you want to read about the good, bad and ugly of women’s football, then don’t forget to get her latest book, She Can Kick It. I have no doubt we will be talking more about this tournament but I cant claim to hold high hopes.

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