Gravelbourg & District Tribune

The World Cup is underway. Yahoo!

 

I just love international football or as we say in North America soccer. But it’s a sport that is so so damn corrupt. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association or FIFA is a worldwide organization that ruled the game in Europe and eventually the entire globe. Like most organizations it is purely bureaucratic and not accountable to any other agency or country. This year will be particularly brutal. FIFA openly said they want to double their profits hosting the game in North America.

 

Here is the breakdown. Television rights $3.92 billion; marketing/commercial rights $1.78 billion from companies like Adidas, Coca-Cola, Hyundai, etc.; ticket sales $2.3 billion but that has been controversial with scalpers asking as much as $5000 for a $60 ticket; hospitality & VIP packages $700 which means corporate boxes and luxury suites; licensing & merchandising $111 million and other revenues for $72 million for the total of $8.9 billion.

 

To be fair they do use some of this money for youth programs around the world. But much just seems to disappear. Now add the new gambling element and it will be billions and billions of money flowing from the pockets of average blocks who think they can beat the system. A scalper is asking $1-million for a ticket to the final. Does that make any sense?

 

Very soon professional sports will be accessible for only the 1%. Ticket prices are artificially high and the rest of us will only have access on television and have to suffer listening to and watching those annoying advertisements. Thanks goodness for the remote.

 

The first game was in Mexico and a sellout but the second game at Estado Akron Stadium (Guadalajara) appeared to be only half full. It featured South Korea and Czechia. It is clear the dynamic pricing model backfired. Additionally the U.S. of A. has confirmed that ICE agents will be present at games in the US. That has put an additional chill on the competition.

 

Will FIFA officials be able to salvage the games? Only time will tell.

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