After the controversies at last year’s Men’s World Cup in Qatar, sponsors can expect a drama-free Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, says branding expert Jim Andrews. The Women’s World Cup, which kicks off in New Zealand and Australia on Thursday, gives world soccer’s governing body FIFA and its corporate partners an opportunity to reset after the controversies that blighted the Qatar World Cup, according to Andrews.
“Maybe it is a chance to catch their breath and not have to deal with all the issues that surrounded Qatar,” Andrews, founder and CEO of A-Mark Partnership Strategies, told MarketWatch. “I would characterize it as a return to having a focus on the sport itself and the matches that are going to be played over the next month.” Related: Women’s World Cup 2023: When does it start? How much do the players make? FIFA was widely criticized over the Qatar World Cup, with critics citing the plight of migrant workers and lack of LGBTQ+ rights in the Gulf nation. The World Cup was awarded to Qatar in 2010, on the same day the 2018 World Cup was awarded to Russia, a decision that also attracted criticism over human rights. The awards to Russia and Qatar also sparked a massive investigation by the U.S Department of Justice that brought down many members of FIFA’s former leadershi …
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