FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani played down concerns about the future. FIFA World CupStating that political and security issues are common before every tournament. He also emphasized that FIFA’s priority is to ensure the safety of fans and strong coordination with host governments, while maintaining that such concerns are part of organizing global events.This summer’s soccer tournament is being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and the build-up has been complicated by the war in the Middle East, the president said. Donald TrumpImmigration crackdowns and gang violence in Mexico, among other factors.Iran has said it will not play its scheduled fixtures in the US after Trump warned Iranian players would be at risk, while fans traveling from different countries have expressed concerns about difficulties obtaining visas and being targeted by immigration agents. But Montagliani, who heads soccer’s North and Central American and Caribbean confederation CONCACAF, said the concerns were no different from those before the previous edition.“The reality of the World Cup, every World Cup FIFA has put on, has always been geopolitical issues. Always, back to ’78, Argentina, the junta and all that,” Montagliani said, referring to the edition that took place during the South American country’s brutal military dictatorship.“Rights groups say around 30,000 people have died or disappeared under the dictatorship, one of the bloodiest in Latin America at the moment. It’s only magnified because everything in the world is magnified, whether it’s social media, or the media reporting it.” But that doesn’t change what we do… it’s a fact of doing business. We deal with it. We will deal with it,” Montagliani told the Business of Soccer conference in Atlanta.“And at the end of the day, like every other World Cup, on June 11, when the ball starts rolling, somehow everyone forgets everything else and starts worrying about the game,” he added.FIFA president Gianni Infantino has come under scrutiny for his close ties to Trump, including his participation in a Gaza peace summit brokered by the US president. Infantino presented Trump with a newly created FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw ceremony in December.“At the end of the day, our primary goal is to make sure that security is at the top, which is why we have to have strong relationships with every federal government: Canada, the United States and Mexico,” Montagliani said.“That the fans are safe. That they’re going to enjoy themselves. And then once the ball starts rolling, it’s all about football.” he concluded.
