FIFA delegates still live in the bubble

The spicy, tangy sweets are a local specialty yet are unlikely to have been tasted by the FIFA delegates. The guests of world soccer are more likely to be inside sipping lattes for eight times the price. 

FIFA has often been known for lavishing a five-star lifestyle on its delegates and officials. When former president Sepp Blatter went to an event in Zurich with the city’s mayor, he arrived in a chauffeur-driven limousine while the politician came and went by tram. 

But after Gianni Infantino was elected president of soccer’s scandal-plagued body in February, one of his first pledges was to make FIFA more humble, suggesting, among other things, that federation officials no longer wore suits to matches. 

The early signs were promising as he flew to Britain for his first official engagement by a budget airline rather than the private plane favoured by his predecessor. 

But this week’s Congress in Mexico City has looked as extravagant as any held under Blatter. 

FIFA confirmed that it paid all the expenses for each of its 209 member associations to bring a three-man delegation, flying business class and staying in five-star accommodation. Each delegate was also given $1,000 in spending money. 

Rooms at the Presidente are booked for about $400 a night. Members of the FIFA Council, the world governing body’s board, are staying at the plusher Four Seasons hotel where rooms typically cost $675 a night, according to hotel booking websites. 

FIFA sources said efforts were being made to persuade delegates to leave their bubble but having them walk a few hundred yards took some effort. 

Some were seen walking the 500 metres from their hotel to Thursday’s opening ceremony at the city’s 10,000-seat National Auditorium, considered one of the world’s best entertainment venues. It was seen by FIFA as a step, albeit it a small one, in the right direction, although others insisted on taking a luxury bus.