FIFA President Gianni Infantino urged world leaders to call for a ceasefire in Russia’s war against Ukraine during the World Cup that starts this week. Just days after asking World Cup teams to avoid the political and human rights issues swirling around host nation Qatar and focus just on soccer, Infantino seemed to stray from his own advice on a trip from the Arabian Gulf to Indonesia for the Group of 20 meeting. The World Cup that starts this weekend could be “that positive trigger,” Infantino said, for seeking peace after nearly nine months of what FIFA described as “conflict in Russia and Ukraine.”
Etiquette | Tournament draws attention to equal rights, including attire
Official-looking flyers have circulated on social media describing cultural expectations for fans attending the World Cup in Qatar. Some include rules for women’s attire: Shoulders and knees must be covered. Problem is, it’s bogus. While the local organizing committee suggests that fans “respect the culture,” no one will be detained or barred from games in Qatar because of clothing choices. But persistent rumors swirling around appropriate garb and modesty at football’s biggest tournament have also drawn attention to the country’s record on equality. The local organizing committee includes a section on cultural awareness in its fan guide.
Safeguard | Players get protection from social media abuse
FIFA and the global soccer players union have launched a moderation service aimed at protecting World Cup players from abuse on social media during the tournament. FIFA said that the more than 830 players in Qatar can access a “dedicated monitoring, reporting and moderation service” that aims to filter hate speech targeted at them. The World Cup starts Sunday, just days after Twitter fired a swath of contractors working on content moderation teams that were tracking hate and trying to enforce rules against harmful posts.
Before VAR | Maradona ‘Hand of God’ World Cup ball sold for $2.4M
The ball punched in by Diego Maradona for his “Hand of God” goal at the 1986 World Cup has been sold at auction for nearly $2.4 million by the referee who missed soccer’s most famous handball. Ali Bin Nasser, the Tunisian former match official who refereed the quarterfinal game between Argentina and England in Mexico, owned the 36-year-old Adidas ball that was sold at Graham Budd Auctions in London for 2 million pounds ($2.37 million) yesterday. Bin Nasser said before the auction he felt it was the right time to share the item with the world and expressed hope the buyer would put it on public display.
