At this point, all your soccer-loving parts are probably bursting with excitement about the World Cup kicking off in less than 48 hours. And how could it not be? Just 32 teams will compete will spend the next month facing in other in group play, quarter finals, and semis all culminating in what promised to be one epic final match on July 13 in Rio de Janerio. (Read Julie Garisto's preview of Bay area festivities here.)
To anyone who worships futbol or even remotely paid attention to soccer after they quit at the age of 11, the World Cup is the holy grail. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows.
It's no secret that the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has been suspect, and British satirist just recently took to his HBO program Last Week Tonight to hilariously present more than a few reasons why FIFA should be right up there with every other money-grubbing, sexist, corrupt villain out here (via Deadspin).
The educational rant went on for almost 15 minutes, but the facts presented by Oliver, 37, is entertaining every step of the way, pointing out a host of facts including:
- Brazil, a country with one of the worst educational systems in the world, has spent more than more than $11B getting ready for the World Cup
- The stadium in the Amazon Rainforest city of Manaus will only host four games (it cost $300M to build)
- FIFA is exempt from over $250M in taxes
- How? Well, FIFA is non-profit with bookoo bucks in the coffers (makes no sense to me, either)
- FIFA is skirting a 2003 Brazilian law banning booze from stadiums (Surprise! Budweiser is a FIFA sponsor)
- FIFA president Sepp Blatter once said women's soccer could be more popular if the women wore "tighter shorts"
- FIFA spent $27M on a movie telling the story of FIFA
- FIFA officials have been embroiled in scandals suggesting that officials took bribes in selecting Quatar to host the 2022 World Cup (temps in the middle eastern city reach upward of 120 degrees fahrenheit, and labor specialists estimate that thousands of migrant workers will die before the event even kicks off)
It's all pretty nuts, and sadly doesn't make us want to watch the World Cup any less, but the more you know...Have a look at the full segment below, and click here to find a place to get excited about the tournament.
