This may be the main topic of the emergency crisis meeting hurriedly organized in Morocco by Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA.
For several days now, the global governing body of football has been shaken by an unprecedented upheaval.
Thus, the head of the world football’s top body has been under fire since his project, ultimately abandoned, to create a commercial company to sell World Cup stakes to private investors.
Right after his U-turn, the Italo-Swiss-Lebanese leader reiterated his praise for “his” 2026 World Cup while omitting the numerous controversies surrounding it.
Be that as it may, Gianni Infantino is booed from all sides and criticized by some very important members of his own body. He has even been urged to resign by several institutions.
While the FIFA president is currently in Morocco to try to ease tensions within his organization, a new opponent has come knocking at his door. It is not a person but a collective, that of the host cities of the 2026 World Cup.
The million is not in the bank
Indeed, according to information from The Athletic, the American cities that hosted World Cup matches a few weeks ago would be demanding no less than one million dollars from FIFA.
This somewhat peculiar request would stem from a promise made ahead of the competition. To motivate the cities to bid, FIFA would have promised a handsome bonus in gratitude for the “heritage” of the 2026 World Cup to “build soccer pitches in urban areas or to support social projects.”
The trouble is that this promise was spoken only, even on several occasions. There is thus no written record of this commitment.
Also according to The Athletic, the American host cities (Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, Miami and Boston) reiterated their demand to FIFA members who confirmed this promise.