Victor Montagliani (Screengrab) FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani downplayed concerns about the upcoming World Cup, saying political and security issues are common before any tournament. He also stressed that FIFA’s priority is to ensure the safety of fans and strong coordination with host governments, while saying these concerns are part of hosting global events.The soccer tournament is being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada this summer, and the build-up has been complicated by war in the Middle East, President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration and gang violence in Mexico, among other issues.Iran said it would not play its scheduled matches in the US after Trump warned Iranian players would be at risk, while traveling fans from various countries expressed difficulty obtaining visas and fears they would be targeted by immigration agents. But Montagliani, who heads the North American and Caribbean soccer confederation CONCACAF, said the concerns were no different from those that preceded previous editions.“The reality of the World Cup, every World Cup that FIFA has put on, there have always been geopolitical issues. You always go back to ’78, Argentina, the junta and all that stuff,” Montagliani said, referring to the edition that took place during the South American country’s brutal military dictatorship.”Rights groups say around 30,000 people have died or disappeared under the dictatorship, one of the bloodiest in Latin America, right now it’s just magnified because everything else in the world is magnified, whether it’s social media or how the media reports it. But it doesn’t change our work… It’s the reality of business. We are dealing with it. We will look into it,” Montagliani said at the Business of Soccer conference in Atlanta.“And at the end of the day, like every other World Cup, on June 11, when the ball starts rolling, somehow everyone forgets everything else and starts caring about the game,” he added.FIFA president Gianni Infantino has come under scrutiny for his close relationship with Trump, which included attending a peace summit in Gaza brokered by the US president. Infantino presented Trump with the newly created FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw in December.“Ultimately, our main goal is to make sure that security is first-class, and that’s why we have to have strong relationships with every federal government: Canada, the U.S. and Mexico,” Montagliani said.“That the fans are safe. That they’re going to enjoy it. And once the ball starts rolling, it’s football.” concluded.
