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Credit: REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
You might’ve noticed that this year’s World Cup broadcasts have featured a heavy dose of on-screen cameos from celebrities, politicians, and the omnipresent FIFA president Gianni Infantino. And that’s by design.
According to a recent report by Adam Crafton in The Athletic, FIFA mandate that its production partner, Host Broadcast Services, the company that produces the so-called “world feed” that every broadcaster across the globe uses for World Cup matches, air what’s called a “dignitary shot” in each half of each match that showcases “the highest-ranking officials present at a game, as well as those described by FIFA in its accreditation system as “VVIPs” (Very, Very Important People).”
These VVIPs can include “heads of state, confederation officials, celebrities or members of soccer federations,” Crafton reports.
The chief VVIP, it would appear, is Infantino, who reportedly made it a goal of catching two matches per day during the World Cup’s group stage. Infantino reportedly used a private jet provided by Qatar Airways, a FIFA sponsor, to zip between multiple matches in a day.
The practice of showing Infantino on the broadcast apparently dates back to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when emails were sent to television crews mandating the FIFA president be shown during the game. Later guidance would specify Infantino should not be shown while using his cellphone.
Per Crafton, “FIFA says it would be misleading to say that it has directed specific shots of its president during games in this World Cup,” though it would appear that most, if not all games Infantino has attended have included a camera shot of the president.
“It is standard practice for seats which include football officials, public figures and celebrities to be shown as part of the match running order, whoever they may be,” FIFA said in a statement to The Athletic.
The post FIFA reportedly mandates shots of high-profile attendees during each half of World Cup matches appeared first on Awful Announcing.
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