"Have a look at a photograph taken this past December in the Kennedy Center. There is Donald Trump, grinning from ear to ear, with a flashy gold medal around his neck. In front of him is a large, phallic gold (or perhaps gilded) trophy depicting hands holding up the globe (or perhaps a soccer ball). It was Trump's very own " FIFA Peace Prize.""
"Infantino, a lanky Italian-Swiss man with a ready grin, especially in the presence of autocrats, had publicly lobbied for Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize last fall. And so, when that didn't happen, he improvised a FIFA equivalent, with a medal to go with it. Trump will doubtless claim this year's tournament as his own, and FIFA will not stand in his way."
"Infantino's gesture might strike people unacquainted with World Cup history as shamelessly fawning. But FIFA 's historical mission has been to squeeze as much money as possible out of global soccer competitions. Bribing officials, milking national economies, and cozying up to corrupt politicians and dictators have long been essential features of the enterprise. It wasn't always like that. FIFA was founded by a number of European countries in 1904 and came into its own in the nineteen-twenties under the presidency of Jules Rimet."
Donald Trump was photographed at the Kennedy Center wearing a gold medal while standing before a gilded trophy labeled the FIFA Peace Prize, presented by Gianni Infantino. Infantino lobbied for a Nobel for Trump and created a FIFA equivalent when that failed. FIFA has long focused on maximizing revenue from global soccer, including bribery, exploiting national economies, and aligning with corrupt politicians and dictators. FIFA originated in 1904 and rose in the 1920s under Jules Rimet, who aimed to unite the world through sport and uplift the poor. Early World Cups were used for political spectacle by fascist regimes.
Read at The New Yorker
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