With less than five months to go until the Women’s World Cup, Fifa was facing a growing crisis. Three of the teams hoping to go into the tournament as contenders were instead in disarray. The France captain Wendie Renard, recognised by Fifa as one of the best players in the world, was out, withdrawing from her national team to “preserve her mental health”. Olympic champions Canada were at war with their governing body over equal pay. Spain, too, were still split following a fissure last September, with 15 of their players banished from selection.
But Gianni Infantino had an exciting announcement: Fifa was ready to unveil its first ever global fan ambassador ahead of this summer’s World Cup. “She lives and breathes futebol,” Infantino beamed. “When you get to meet Adriana, you feel right away her warmth, kindness and how approachable and passionate she is about our game.” It was, of course, Adriana Lima, the Brazilian supermodel, ready to “develop, promote and participate in global initiatives”, among other vague but supposedly real responsibilities.
