Tokyo, Japan -- North Korea is notorious for practically everything. It violates human rights, abducts foreign citizens, and counterfeits money. But the country earns the respect of other East Asians for having a very good soccer team. The country is, however, so impoverished that its leaders don't buy broadcasting rights from FIFA. Instead, they ask South Korea to provide the World Cup programs.
FIFA is respected because we love the World Cup. But the soccer body's unabashed commercialism has created troubles of its own. FIFA cannot be a guiding force in solving the world's problems.
Not that commercialism is all bad. Millions of Africans this year can watch all the 64 games courtesy of the Coca-Cola Company, one of the biggest employers in Africa. Prior to such a generous arrangement, many Africans throughout the poor continent just watched unlicensed videos many days or weeks after the games actually took place.
FIFA runs the World Cup like a well-organized company selling its products. Unfortunately for poor nations, its products are really expensive because FIFA draws nearly 90% of its revenue from broadcasting fees.
The United Nations may be terribly wasteful and inefficient, to say the least. We in the media particularly love to blame the world body for its failures to stop wars, pollution, epidemics and all kinds of bad things.
FIFA may appear to be a great organization as long as it runs the World Cup. It even boasts more membership than the UN (207 vs 191). But we love the World Cup precisely because we love to watch and play the beautiful sport. If FIFA people ever get into the ugly business of world politics, they would be instantly cursed and hated as much as the United Nations is today.
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