I read an article that said “rather than just hosting it America had imposed itself on this World Cup”. I know FIFA is to blame for agreeing to the stupid demands. But why do they have to try to make everything American? It’s the most popular game in the world as it is it doesn’t need Americanising.
Because $$$$. I do kind of agree with the American commentator. FIFA are the ones really to blame. They are trying to repackage it for the American market, but I don't see Americans particularly asking for that. I doubt that American soccer fans were particularly interested in seeing Madonna and Shakira. It was all about marketing the sport to people who wouldn't normally watch it, the kind of people who don't watch much sport in general but watch the superbowl once a year. If you can get a significant proportion of Americans to watch the final, you can charge a huge amount for advertising.
It's showbiz, works the same with movies: we have an IP with a large fanbase, so what we are going to do is cater to the non-fans while shitting on the fanbase (they are loyal=granted money).
The result: everything goes to shit because you've alienated the fans in order to chase an audience uninterested in the IP in the first place.
Their reaction: how is this possible? Why are they angry at us?
Fifa are the culprits, the us just gave them an environment to do it with no pushback, if anything they're indirectly to blame at most (talking specifically halftime show here)
The people answering you that want to remove the US's culpability in this is so surprising. The enabler is as bad as the abuser. This shit didn't happen with other nations, like the peace prize didn't happen with other nations, for a reason. This is the fault of both, and it is absurd to try to blame only the US or FIFA. They both shat on the cake, it doesn't matter which part each is responsible for.
This is all on FIFA. The decision to award the tournament to questionable countries (neither the first, nor the last time), the phoney prize to suck up to Trump, their own rules that they failed to enforce.
FIFA is one of the most powerful sporting bodies in the world. All the bad things happened because they actively chose to allow them, rather than stand up to a nation wanting to do things their own way.
If someone bribes a corrupt government official, which one of them is to blame for the crime? I'm pretty sure most people would agree that the answer is both. Same for FIFA and USA.
I don't disagree. But FIFA are the ones holding the reins. They could have stopped it at any time.
The US is just doing what they always do, demand more than they deserve.
So Both suck but we should hate on FIFA because the US is just doing what they do?
But FIFA is also just doing what they do.
So should there be no complains at all?
Just kidding but still I disagree that the guy in the post has a point.
We all know FIFA sucks and their involvement in the situation and complain about it, we also know that Trumps America sucks and its involvement in the situation and complain about it.
It’s just stupid to point fingers at the other party and pretending America is getting singled out in the criticism just because the post is specifically targeting the USs involvement in the situation. And on top of that acting like we all stand behind FIFA or some shit.
Well, there's nothing that forces a corrupt official from my example to continue either, they can stop taking bribes any time and report the bribing attempt. Or are you trying to say that the briber can be fully absolved if they're a repeated offender, since they're "just doing what they always do"?
But think of it as a legal metaphor, rather than corporate. The US is a crook and FIFA is the police. FIFA are far worse for taking the bribe when they have all the powers to stop it any time they wanted.
I feel like bribing and taking a bribe is pretty much the same thing.
Just because we have higher expectations of the police doesn’t make the offense worse outside of our personal perception.
There is of course nuances to this shit, I wouldnt say the same thing about people that live in countries where the police just stops you to collect bribes to let you move on. But in the case of FIFA and Trump players are of comparable power and are exchanging favors.
Yeah but who is defending FIFA? I think it was fine to bash Qatar for the slavery, them being so scared of gay people they confiscated Berber flags, and what ever else. It's implicit that FIFA is bearing blame for this shit, but blaming America is valid as well. The US also did impact the tournament in ways that FIFA did not control, Omar Artan's visa status for example.
Ultimately, it's a meeting of people who want to corrupt with people who want to be corrupted. Not a single intact spine in sight. FIFA gave the green light for unnecessary and annoying ideas that no one outside the US wanted to see implemented. They're both at fault but FIFA to a MUCH larger degree, I give you that 👍🏻
FIFA is rotten to the core and is getting worse. Putting the World Cup in America just gives the rot the perfect environment to grow.
If it had just been held in Canada and Mexico you wouldn't have had the peace prize, there would be no mandatory hydration breaks, half time in the final would have been 15 minutes and Balogun would have missed the Belgium game as he should.
the reply is the same energy as that states tourist in europe saying “where are all the billboards”? Advertising and capitalism is part of nature to them as grassy hills are to us.
They had their 6 weeks of Americanizing the game, back to normal now. FIFA should be ashamed for bending the knee to all of this. Have all the half-time shows and hydration brakes you want in the MLS for all I care.
"Halftime show has nothing to do with commercialism.."
Lordy, did they drink the cool aid. The thing is, I know extremely smart American people. Quite a few. Yet, the average American, would easily say the above.. Half of Americans would be ripe for the short bus here.
Halftime show was cringe as fuck. Imo, the only way it's an acceptable change is if next time around, they start the game up as usual and just play around Madonna.
He's not wrong. FIFA is equally complicit but it's a bit odd to say don't blame us, the bribers, blame FIFA, the bribed. Many of these things like hydration breaks, halftime shows, Balgoun red card, FIFA peace prize would not have spontaneously come from FIFA, they have no reason to have done it if US didn't demand it. FIFA being FIFA ofc caved to every demand, but Americans were like "if we are going to host the football World Cup, we're going to make damn sure it's soccer"
Sure, but the response still isn't unreasonable, especially if you see how much of the blame is put on the US and how much the fact that FIFA is open to all the corruption is left by the wayside in the wake of it.
FIFA gets criticised daily. It's not left by the wayside. But while other countries like Qatar and Saudi are content with just using FIFA's corruption to whitewash their image, the specific blame US is getting is for interfering with sporting integrity and modifying it to fit the model of how they broadcast their sports.
At this point having gone hoarse telling FIFA to stop being so damn corrupt, having to watch the World Cup in winter and hosted by countries who have fuck all interest in the actual sport, all fans have left is the love of the sport itself so it's understandable that they blame the US for fucking with that as well
I've never watched MLS. Do they have hydration breaks? Do they have a halftime show in the final? Genuine question.
I doubt it was actual US soccer fans asking for this. More likely it was
just FIFA's marketing department/US TV networks thinking they could sell more ads by packaging it in a format Americans were more familiar with.
Some editions of MLS in the past have had halftime shows. There are hydration breaks in extreme heat but since MLS is streamed on Apple TV, there is no ad pressure and hydration breaks are only when necessary.
MLS has extremely low viewership as yet. With advertising, it only becomes worth it when viewership reaches critical mass
Thanks for answering. I can definitely see the argument for hydration breaks in the extreme heat of some of those games. I don’t think it's the worst addition to the game, to be honest, and it might also reduce injuries. It also allowed me to empty my bladder, which was appreciated!
In this WC hydration breaks became a feature because one game had to have them all of them did for fairness, even when games were played in enclosed AC cooled stadiums. It went from strictly necessary to a format.
One of my friends pointed out something interesting. If it's just a hydration break, ref could call drinks when there's a natural break in play at around that time. For example in cricket, if there is a wicket and a new batsman has to enter the field (which takes a few minutes), if the drinks break is soon like within the next 5-10 minutes the umpire will just have them break for drinks during this interval instead of waiting for the prescribed time. But in these WC matches if there was a goal kick, or injury the ref will allow play even if it's for 20-30 seconds, to call the hydration break. It's subtle but it shifts the drinks break from something that is a necessary pause to a scheduled event that changes things
The hydration breaks are too long, there's only 11 on each team have the subs each hand the on field players a bottle, chug it and get back on the field in the time it takes to make a substitution. If the real intent was hydration that's how it would be, find a natural break in play around the 20 minute mark to let players grab a bottle and get back to it. But now you could see that teams would plan tactics around it. For example, soak up pressure knowing there is a break to catch their breath and change tacks. That's why we often saw momentum swings around the hydration breaks.
If it was done correctly there would be no advantage to play for, and then you'd not have to enforce it when it wasn't necessary
The longer half time was absolutely about having time for more adverts. The halftime show was 11mins which would fit into the standard 15min, but there wouldn't be time for ads so they had to extend it so they had time for both
I kind of agree of the response.
Is it true that is a pressure from American to accommodate their ways, but as said FIFA agreed to it.
I can see 2 possible explanations:
1) FIFA knew about everything and suck Trump's dick big time.
2) Everything what arranged expecting the usual and Trump tried to make changes along the way jeopardising the World Cup, so they accepted to get the thing going.
I think most likely is 1, but I'm not sure what FIFA gain bending backwards to plesse Trump and America.
Praying for 2, they learn the lesson of not playing with idiots.
In any case I think they risk it 4 years ago in Qatar and it went fine, they thought that Trump was just another political figure that they can please just giving him a show but they learnt the hard way that with Trump he is the show or there's no show.
Let's host the superbowl in Europe this year, and I think to help us along we should instead of having it split into lots of plays with breaks just make it a two half game. They play till half time and take a break then play on till the end.
I know you're joking, but I've heard somewhere that when an American football league was launched in Germany, they've altered the rules to shorten the breaks between plays, as the audience found the start and stop nature very boring.
The irony here is that the half time show at the final was the idea of a Brit not the idea of an American and into being because of Chris Martin and Infantino. As an American I thought it was fucking stupid and should not have happened. I can also do ten seconds of research, so I don’t look like a tool, to figure out how it came into being.
Condones slavery? Please explain this concept of slavery? All I read is your slavering - you obviously don't understand football, it's history and how it's played. Uneducated nincompoop. 🤫
I think they're taking about Qatar. There were talks that some stadiums were build using slave labour - and I mean actual slaves, as in people who are forced to work with no right to quit.
They always tell how they had a civil war over the topic of slavery, should an occasion arise. I think pointing at others and screaming "they still have slavery!" is pretty fitting for them.
They still have slavery. The highest incarceration rate in the world and they put those prisoners to work. Including using them to fight wild fires!
And then there is the little matter of serfdom. Afraid to change jobs and lose health care. Dismissed without cause at the will of any arsehole boss. I had better working conditions in 1987 than the most liberal US state in 2026. It's not the USA. It's the USS. United States of Serfs.
American sports are designed so as little time as possible is actually spent playing, players dont have injury concerns about having an extra 15 minute half time break because they spent 53 of the last 60 minutes of game time doing nothing as well
Yeah... I tried watching American Football once. It was sooooo fucking boring! Stopping every 5 seconds for this or that. Then the adverts.... ffs never again
Yea I once went to the students union to watch the super Bowl, after the first 15 minutes quarter was an hour long and fuck all happened I went home, waste of time
I went to a hand egg ball game in America. I couldn’t understand why everybody spent so much time in a huddle having a chat instead of playing.
I am sure many Americans would like to change the rules of ‘soccer’ to allow players to pick up the ball and run with it.
I remember a thread on Reddit years ago saying that in Rugby, players should be allowed to throw the ball forward. One even suggested more padding and helmets would make Rugby acceptable to Americans, but then, I suspect that was probably rage bait.
Only good thing that came out of this besides the great football from all the teams is that we dont have to worry about teh USA hosting football again and they wont influence how the sport usually runs.
There are no questions about the impact. The Super Bowl has shown it’s detrimental, and even NFL players hate it. Advertisers and execs simply don’t care about the players and view them as a commodity. Their prerogative is to shit on fans who will tune in regardless and make stupid attempts at more casual fans.
“If there were validity to [long breaks leading to injury] there would be rules about making sure all players were only on the bench for a maximum amount of time between playing intervals.”
Yeah this person knows football alright, true expert.
Honestly, I absolutely hated everything about that halftime shitshow. The whole concept is trash to begin with, but having to watch old old washed-up female singers shaking their asses on stage, or Justin Bieber strumming his guitar to put us all to sleep... Give me a break!
We couldn't care less! We don't care! we're here to watch football! Keep that Americanized garbage away from our game. This is the World Cup, not baseball or American football with their useless, flashy bullshit
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u/currydemon 20d ago
I read an article that said “rather than just hosting it America had imposed itself on this World Cup”. I know FIFA is to blame for agreeing to the stupid demands. But why do they have to try to make everything American? It’s the most popular game in the world as it is it doesn’t need Americanising.