BY THANDISIZWE MGUDLWA
Mgudlwa has more than 25 years of experience in the media industry as a reporter, editor, blogger, entreprenuer and consultant.
CAPE TOWN; South Africa —“To everyone who missed our beautiful game, the emotions, the celebrations, the laughter, the crying, the deception, and the joy. To all of you who missed watching kids, babies, grandparents, and parents come together for the beautiful game, I say sorry that the matches are now over and sorry that you missed all that joy and togetherness. Sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all,” so says FIFA President, Gianni Infantino.
The words Infantino uttered after the 2026 FIFA World Cup are debatable to say the least, as some have suggested, as the criticism or question of the various turn of events during the tournament were legitimate concerns rather than expressions of hate and criticism.
Either way, football is a game of billions and there’s no way that everybody will have the same view about football matters like other people do.
At least from a positive angle of Infantino’s remarks, is the part about the family, ‘To all of you who missed watching kids, babies, grandparents, and parents come together for the beautiful game,”.
It is this part of Infantino’s message that should inspire Family Unity, Family Values, Family Reunions, Family Meetings, Family Businesses, Family Education, Family History to note few, that FIFA and the rest of the world must promote.
Many dysfunctional or broken families, broken dreams, visions and lives are languishing in jails or hopelessly in environments or I groups that are not helping to advance the well-being of many across the globe, especially the children and the youth.
A powerful and influential global brand like FIFA can certainly make a more positive impact in rebuilding the Family Unit through football, all over the world.
Of course, FIFA has some family orientated programs like the FIFA Family Fun Fest.
But the argument here is of a more comprehensive multi-sector FIFA led Family program running throughout the as a schooling curriculum.
Another helpful possibility could be that Infantino and FIFA should seek to engage all those who ‘criticize’ or are ‘filled with hate’ about the work FIFA is doing.
Perhaps, FIFA could get to understand where those who criticize or question could be coming from.
At any rate, conversations and communications among all football’s stakeholders should form the basis of how FIFA conducts it’s affairs, especially when matters of accountability and transparency are concerned.
This move would really improve the levels of communications within the football world and contribute to greater inclusivity and unity of the whole football fraternity.
Will FIFA seek to create channels of dialogue between confederations, national associations including the fans and other stakeholders on what else FIFA could do through partnerships to improve the human family and the football family.
Surely time will tell.