NEW YORK — FIFA’s latest attempt at a cash grab is doubling the amount of World Cups, leaving the men and women playing in alternating years.
Perhaps sensing his plan dying in front of increasing opposition from his most important federation and the growing consensus that it would be a complete disaster for the women’s game, FIFA president Gianni Infantino tossed up a Hail Mary that still hasn’t landed.
Speaking to European lawmakers on Wednesday, Infantino said that the “hope” and “dignity” created by doubling World Cups would lead to fewer African migrants dying in risky sea crossings to Europe. No, really:
“If we think about rest of world and the vast majority of Europe, then we have to think about what football brings,” he said. “Football is about opportunity, about hope, about the national teams. We (Europe) cannot say to the rest of world give us your money, but watch us on TV. We need to include them.
“We need to find ways to include the whole world to give hope to Africans so that they don’t need to cross the Mediterranean in order to find maybe a better life but, more probably, death in the sea.”
Infantino’s comments were quickly blasted. He partially walked them back within hours, saying it was “a general comment, which was not directly related to the possibility of playing a FIFA World Cup every two years.”
