Will Europe be deprived of the images of the 2023 Women’s World Cup? The threat is serious, as it is brandished by Gianni Infantino himself. The FIFA president explained in Geneva, at a meeting of the World Trade Organization, that the five major European countries – Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany and France – had proposed insufficient offers for the broadcasting of the world tournament co-organized by Australia and New Zealand. As a result, they may not get the audiovisual rights. “To be very clear, we have a moral and legal obligation not to undersell the Women’s World Cup, explained the FIFA President. Therefore, if the offers continue to be unfair, we will be forced not to broadcast the World Cup in the five major European countries.” According to Gianni Infantino, broadcasters have offered between 1 and 10 million dollars for the rights, compared to 100 to 200 million dollars for the men’s World Cup. The reason is the geographical distance and the important time difference between Europe and the two Oceanian countries. But Gianni Infantino rejects the argument. “Maybe it’s not played at prime time in Europe, but it’s still played at 9 or 10 in the morning, so it’s a reasonable time,” he suggested from Geneva.
