Fury after supermodel Adriana Lima named football ambassador
A decision to appoint a supermodel as the face of FIFA’s global campaign has been described as “tone deaf” among other things.
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Only at FIFA could something like this be approved.
There has been angry reaction to the announcement this week that former Victoria’s Secret Angel Adriana Lima has been appointed to a position as a global ambassador for football’s governing body.
The decision to appoint the 41-year-old to the newly created position of “global fan ambassador” has been described as “tone deaf” just months out from the start of the 2023 Women’s Football World Cup, hosted in Australia and New Zealand.
Former Matildas star and Aussie football official Moya Dodd was among the first to slam the decision
Dodd, a former leader of the soccer body’s task force for the future of women’s football, has received widespread support for her blunt criticism.
Seriously, #FIFA, is this the fan engagement ambassador we need as the @FIFAWWC approaches? #tonedeafhttps://t.co/a7O2WHRr6gpic.twitter.com/s2S6wvJmFx
— moya dodd (@moyadodd) February 28, 2023
Dodd on Wednesday explained her position in a statement posted on LinkedIn, describing the appointment as “truly baffling”.
“At the outset, the model’s public image (see twitter graphic below) looked an odd fit for an organisation that says it wants to empower girls and women, and whose President is required to be “a vanguard” for promoting gender equality (yes, that’s in the FIFA Governance Regulations),” she wrote.
“But beyond generalisations, a quick Wikicheck showed that this model specifically was known for crash-diet eating & drinking, and for believing that abortion is a crime. Losing 8 pounds (that’s about 3.5 kilos) in 9 days doesn’t sound at all safe; nor is it consistent with a healthy “athlete’s mind” which she references.
“I asked whether the FIFA ambassador will be delivering messages on body image, wellbeing and healthy eating; or on a woman’s right to choose?
“And it made me wonder: what will this ambassador represent to the large and growing population of aspirational #womensfootball players and fans who love the game because shows us what empowerment and equality can look like?
“Because when a girl plays football, the world sees her differently. Instead of being complimented on her nice looks or her pretty dress, she is valued for her game-saving tackles and brilliant goal-scoring. She’s admired for what she can DO, rather than how she looks, putting her on a more equal footing with her brothers in a way that can alter the whole trajectory of her life’s ambitions.
“In a FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 year, that’s the message that should be ringing loud and true around the world. Where a super-model fits into this is truly baffling.”
Brazilian Lima said in announcing the role she was a big football fan. Under-fire FIFA boss Gianni Infantino was less than convincing in his statement following the announcement, which came after Lima presented an award at he Best FIFA Awards ceremony in Paris.
“As a true “brasileira”, futebol is in my blood,” Lima wrote on Instagram.
“It is a great honor to be part of the FIFA Family, the FIFAMILY as we call it! As a fan myself, I hope to connect at a greater level this family to the life of this beautiful sport: the fans! Welcome to FIFAN.”
Infantino also posted: “I’m delighted to welcome Adriana Lima as a FIFA Global Fan Ambassador. She lives and breathes ‘futebol’ and that is why I truly believe she will be an excellent link between FIFA and fans worldwide and we can develop interest for our sport in as many young girls and boys as possible all across the world.”
Originally published as Fury after supermodel Adriana Lima named football ambassador
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