Petition for FIFA to be overhauled or abolished reaches 100,000 signatures

The 2022 Qatar World Cup has been no stranger to controversy, but it seems like the shenanigans and poor handling of the tournament seem to be the last straw for fans.

Since Qatar was awarded the rights to hosting this year's World Cup in 2010, a cloud of controversy and question has surrounded Qatar and FIFA.

Whether it be over the way the country won the bidding, the country's poor treatment of migrant workers, or the persecution of memebrs of the LGBTQ+ community, both FIFA and Qatar have struggled to stay out of the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Fans at the tournament have had rainbow clothing confiscated, FIFA have banned the One Love armband and to top it all off, alcohol was banned from being sold in stadiums just two days prior to kick off.

People have had enough, in particular, vice-chair of Kick it Out Chris Paouros. Paouros was the one who launched the petition for FIFA to be overhauled or abolished, believing football should be in better hands.

The petition has surpassed 100,000 signatures today, with numbers continuing to climb. It is all in the hope that FIFA sees the dissatisfaction of fans and changes their ways. Paouros labelled FIFA a "failing institution" as she called out their lack in knowledge to govern football.

Several big names in media and football have called out Qatar, such as Gary Lineker, Bruno Fernandes, Alex Scott, and the Germany National team to name a few. The opinion is not only shared among fans, but among figures in the game.

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The petition details what Paouros aims to achieve with the aid of football fans around the world, which will be summed up here:

"FIFA is an out of touch, failing institution, unfit to govern world football. It's time to reclaim the game. FIFA, in its own regulations, commits itself to resisting discrimination in all its forms.

"But we have seen time and time again that FIFA fails to deliver on this commitment. For decades, FIFA has been plagued by scandals - there have been allegations of corruption, racketeering, bribery, violations of ethics, ticket scams, and the mismanagement of sexual abuse cases.

"My name is Chris Paouros (she/her). I’m Vice-Chair of Kick It Out, a charity tackling discrimination in football and seeking to make it a game where everyone belongs.

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"Before and during the World Cup in Qatar, there have been clear examples of how FIFA is not fit for purpose. Building the stadiums for this tournament has cost lives and caused injuries for thousands of severely underpaid workers, devastating their families. Women’s rights are limited and the LGBTQ+ community is criminalised–two issues very personal to me.

"As football fans, we can't choose host nations, but we can call for radical change in the governing body that made this tournament a reality–FIFA.

"Gianni Infantino will be re-elected as President of FIFA as he is running unopposed. This undemocratic and morally bankrupt organisation is not fit to run our game."

To read the petition in its entirety, click here.