FIFA and the Emir hijack Messi
The greasy final point of this World Cup
A comment by Tobias Nordmann
12/18/2022, 10:21 p.m
Lionel Messi has unsuccessfully tried four times to become soccer world champion. In his presumably last attempt, the coup still succeeds. But at the biggest moment for his country, perhaps the best player of all time is being used for symbolic politics.
FIFA and Qatar wanted the last word, but this World Cup had saved their reputation for making a good last impression. With an enchanting final, with the fascinating duel between the superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, this extremely controversial tournament came to an end and pointed the way to the sporting future. This will soon take place without Messi and will then be determined by Mbappé. Argentina had been crowned, Messi completed his life’s work. But with this moment full of emotions, tears and happiness, the World Cup would not have come to its deserved end.
It had to get greasy again. One last time. FIFA and the Emir of Qatar robbed the superstar of his country’s greatest moment. Instead of simply handing him the golden trophy, they made him the involuntary accomplice of their greed. This World Cup was politically exploited for the last time.
It’s about this moment.
(Photo: dpa)
Messi was wrapped in a kiss by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The bischt is a noble outer garment that is actually only worn on special occasions over another traditional male garment, primarily in the Arab world. The garment is primarily worn by important people in Qatar on the national holiday – which is actually today.
Apparently, Messi, who is thrown away with Qatari millions at his club Paris St. Germain, was surprised by the black robe with golden borders put on. There is probably no more suitable symbol for the shadows in this tournament. Did Messi like it? Rather not. Regardless, the pictures were out and Messi smiled bravely. He smiled alongside two people who had taken so much away from football these days. The lightness, the enthusiasm.
It’s about the staging, everything should be perfect
This tournament was so overloaded with all the human rights violations in the run-up, with all the showdowns of the organizer during the ongoing operation, that at least in this country no euphoria wanted to arise. Would it have been different if Germany had played for the World Cup crown on Sunday evening? Yes, probably. But there probably wouldn’t have been a second 2006 (summer fairy tale) or 2014 (title in Brazil). But that doesn’t change the facts anyway. FIFA and Qatar have once again shown how little respect they have for this game, for football and for the players. They are primarily concerned with themselves. The staging. Everything should look perfect.
Now the thing is like this: Successful athletes have always been exploited for non-sporting purposes. FC Bayern, for example, regularly asks its stars for Paulaner advertising shoots – Muslim players then refrain from lifting a beer mug, after all. They still have to be in the photo. Such examples are numerous. But that an authoritarian state that violates human rights all too often, has a strange image of women from a Western perspective and takes repressive action against homosexuality, uses the largest sports stage in the world – in addition to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games – that is despite all the sad habit of such images Strange again.
Qatar have embraced the power of football to show the power of the emirate. It is a sign to the world, which has already made itself dependent on the desert state in many sectors. Owned by the Qatar sovereign wealth fund, Paris St. Germain is the flagship of the World Cup hosts who are working with their limitless potential. The fact that France decided early on not to wear the “One Love” bandage was also seen as a sign of economic bondage. And there are also close ties with Germany, through the new gas partnership, for FC Bayern, through Volkswagen and Deutsche Bank. And now the emirate has also grabbed Messi. Only for a brief moment, but he is in the world, the picture will find its place in the iconography of world sport – and delivers the greasy final punch line of this World Cup.