Fifa's Latest Power Play: The Price of Admission to Autocracy
In a stunning display of autocratic tendencies, Fifa's president Gianni Infantino has outdone himself in his pursuit of power. The latest news that the cheapest ticket for next year's World Cup final in the US will cost £3,120 – seven times more than the cheapest ticket for the last World Cup final in Qatar – is a stark reminder of the governing body's insatiable appetite for profit.
By hosting the tournament in autocratic regimes, Fifa has successfully cultivated an environment where its own interests take precedence over those of its fans. The recent practice of partnering with dictatorships like Turkey and Saudi Arabia, not to mention the cozy relationship with US President Donald Trump, has led many to question the true motives behind these deals.
Trump's bromance with Infantino has been a closely watched development, with the Fifa president regularly appearing at high-profile events alongside his American counterpart. However, it is Infantino who now seems to be pulling all the strings. Whether this will ultimately lead to his downfall remains unclear, but one thing is certain: he is relishing every moment of his newfound power.
As the World Cup approaches, fans can expect an unprecedented level of commercialization and control by Fifa. The governing body has already begun to tighten its grip on ticket sales, with a secondary ticketing market set to be run without interference. This will undoubtedly lead to further inflation and exploitation of already struggling football supporters.
The current state of Fifa elections is equally concerning, as the strong-arm practice of buying off smaller nation's votes via disproportionately large grants has effectively hollowed out the organization's democratic credentials. With Infantino at the helm, it seems that one man indeed holds all the cards – a worrying prospect for fans around the world.
For now, the football community remains powerless against Fifa's latest power play. Unless one of the big football markets pulls out in protest, it appears that the status quo will continue to prevail. As Marina Hyde astutely observes, there is simply no one who cares less than Infantino – and no sport that hates its fans quite as much as football.
The true price of admission to this autocratic world may be higher than ever before, with tickets priced out of reach for all but the most affluent fans. But if only those who love the game could afford them, they'd have the receipts to prove it – a bitter reminder that Fifa's latest move is another blow to the very people its leaders claim to serve.
In a stunning display of autocratic tendencies, Fifa's president Gianni Infantino has outdone himself in his pursuit of power. The latest news that the cheapest ticket for next year's World Cup final in the US will cost £3,120 – seven times more than the cheapest ticket for the last World Cup final in Qatar – is a stark reminder of the governing body's insatiable appetite for profit.
By hosting the tournament in autocratic regimes, Fifa has successfully cultivated an environment where its own interests take precedence over those of its fans. The recent practice of partnering with dictatorships like Turkey and Saudi Arabia, not to mention the cozy relationship with US President Donald Trump, has led many to question the true motives behind these deals.
Trump's bromance with Infantino has been a closely watched development, with the Fifa president regularly appearing at high-profile events alongside his American counterpart. However, it is Infantino who now seems to be pulling all the strings. Whether this will ultimately lead to his downfall remains unclear, but one thing is certain: he is relishing every moment of his newfound power.
As the World Cup approaches, fans can expect an unprecedented level of commercialization and control by Fifa. The governing body has already begun to tighten its grip on ticket sales, with a secondary ticketing market set to be run without interference. This will undoubtedly lead to further inflation and exploitation of already struggling football supporters.
The current state of Fifa elections is equally concerning, as the strong-arm practice of buying off smaller nation's votes via disproportionately large grants has effectively hollowed out the organization's democratic credentials. With Infantino at the helm, it seems that one man indeed holds all the cards – a worrying prospect for fans around the world.
For now, the football community remains powerless against Fifa's latest power play. Unless one of the big football markets pulls out in protest, it appears that the status quo will continue to prevail. As Marina Hyde astutely observes, there is simply no one who cares less than Infantino – and no sport that hates its fans quite as much as football.
The true price of admission to this autocratic world may be higher than ever before, with tickets priced out of reach for all but the most affluent fans. But if only those who love the game could afford them, they'd have the receipts to prove it – a bitter reminder that Fifa's latest move is another blow to the very people its leaders claim to serve.
- £3120 for a ticket?!? thats insane! its not just the price tho, its the fact that theyre basically saying fans arent worth anything unless we're willing to break the bank 
. and can we talk about infantino's bromance with trump?!?! it just shows how much fifa is all about politics and profit over the actual game 
. I swear if i wanted to pay that kinda cash for a ticket id rather be watching paint dry 
. its just another reason why i cant even support fifa events anymore 
! I feel like they're literally pricing out regular fans and just making bank off of it 
? I'm not even kidding when I say that Fifa needs a serious wake-up call 
. It's all about the Benjamins and none of us fans are the real winners here 
. On top of this, it's just so frustrating to see these powerful people making decisions that hurt the very people who love the sport most 
. I'm just waiting for someone big to pull out or a fan uprising 
. Until then, I'll just be over here booing from my couch 
you're pricing out the fans for profit thats just cruel 7 times more than last world cup final?? that's highway robbery plain and simple infantino needs to get a grip whats wrong with fifa these days? seems like they only care about making bank off the beautiful game instead of looking after the fans and the sport as a whole 
meanwhile fans are paying thru the nose for tickets 
. last world cup in qatar sold out in like 10 mins lol who can afford £3k+ tix now? 
. not exactly what u call a positive correlation 
. yeah, fifa's got some 'splainin' to do 
meanwhile the fans are just over here trying to scrape together what little change they have left to buy a ticket and get told to shove it 