FIFA President Tells Women How To Develop Sport, Bashes Journalists For Not Showing Up To World Cup

The 2023 FIFA World Cup is coming to an end on Sunday, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino couldn't get to the finish line without putting his foot in his mouth one more time.

That isn't much of a surprise. This is the same guy who kicked off the World Cup by begging New Zealanders to do the "right thing" and buy match tickets, only to fly off to Tahiti a few days into the tournament.

All Infantino had to do was not say anything else dopey ahead of the Final between England and Spain, but the guy just couldn't do it.

Again, not surprising that a dude who hangs with Salt Bae has some poor judgment.

In his remarks, Infantino told women that they have to "convince" men what needs to be done for the sport.

"I say to all the women, that you have the power to change. Pick the right battles. Pick the right fights. You have the power to change," he said, per The Dialy Mail You have the power to convince us men what we have to do and what we don't have to do."

Yeah, that'll go over well.

Infantino was talking about how "equal pay" may not be the hill to die on for women's soccer. He's got a point about that.

But, still, telling women that it was their duty to convince men to do things — at the Women's World Cup — won't be a popular decision.

It wasn't Infantino's only interesting comment.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino wasn't impressed by the media turnout at the Women's World Cup. (Photo by Harold Cunningham - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Infantino Lambasts Media

Infantino also ripped journalists. More specifically, the lack of journalists compared to the men's World Cup last year in Qatar.

"It cannot be that there were over 30 Danish or Swiss journalists in Qatar and less than 10, even less than five, here in Australia and New Zealand," he said. "We have to start treating men and women, or women and men, in the same way."

He singled out the Italian media for not having any reporters in Australia and New Zealand but had nearly 40 in Qatar. The nation's men's team didn't even qualify for that tournament, while the women made it to the World Cup but failed to get beyond the group stage.

Infantino isn't exactly the guy to be dishing out admonishments for those who decided not to show up.

The women's game needs to grow, but it sure doesn't seem like Infantino will. be the guy who makes it happen.

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