Fansided

McDonald’s could pay humanity back for the terrible nutrition by forcing FIFA reform

By Derek Helling

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 25: A detailed view of the adoidas match ball during the FIFA 2018 World Cup Group H Qualifier match between Belgium and Greece at Stade Roi Baudouis on March 25, 2017 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 25: A detailed view of the adoidas match ball during the FIFA 2018 World Cup Group H Qualifier match between Belgium and Greece at Stade Roi Baudouis on March 25, 2017 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) /
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After decades of irresponsible calorie peddling, McDonald’s is in position to contribute something great to human society by being the catalyst for true ethics reforms by FIFA.

McDonald’s is one of the biggest and longest-tenured sponsors of FIFA, and it could have a super-sized effect on the on-going attempts to reform FIFA on ethical matters.

According to Adam Crafton of The Daily Mail, McDonald’s has had internal discussions about dropping its sponsorship of FIFA amid continuing ethics concerns.

Despite announced initiatives to root out corruption in FIFA’s leadership, reports claim that some of the same bribery by Qatari and Russian state officials that has typified World Cup placement bidding processes in the past appears to still be happening. Additionally, FIFA failed to follow its own concussion protocol at the 2014 World Cup.

These are some of the reasons why McDonald’s at least wants it to appear like it’s considering pulling sponsorship. It’s unlikely that will happen anytime soon. The contract runs through 2022, and it would cost the global restaurant conglomerate over $100 million to void the contract at this time. An official statement lines up with the narrative that an exit isn’t pending:

"There is no change to our sponsorship plans for the FIFA World Cup in Russia in 2018. Like other sponsors a couple of years ago, we strongly advocated for FIFA reform including calling for the resignation of former President Sepp Blatter. As a sponsor, we will continue to hold FIFA accountable."

While 2018 is unlikely to see any modification, 2022 and beyond should be in play. Voiding the contract just a year or so early could likely represent a savings for McDonald’s as compared to the $10-$25 million annual value. Additionally, if nothing actually changes with FIFA, it will at some point become necessary for McDonald’s to support its words with action.

The reality is that as long as sponsorship dollars by the million continue to flow freely despite reports of continued corruption, there’s no real motivation for FIFA to take any serious action toward curtailing that corruption. If McDonald’s exits, it could cause a chain reaction of other sponsors following suit. That would cause the individuals in FIFA’s governance to take notice and respond accordingly.

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McDonald’s has used toys to market to kids and pushed its burgers that show no signs of decomposition after six months on humanity for decades. It’s time for the corporation to do the world a solid and do what FIFA hasn’t done: walk its talk.

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