Algorand’s Problematic Partnership with FIFA
Algorand’s Problematic Partnership with FIFA Nonetheless Presents a Staggering OpportunityDon’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
There’s no denying the fact that the build up to the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar will be more remembered for the controversies surrounding the host country’s appalling human rights record than any pre-tournament excitement. That is as it should be; the deaths and other abuses of migrant workers who built the footballing infrastructure need to be unfailingly accounted for and in some cases even acknowledged. Reports in the Guardian Newspaper claim that as many as 6,500 migrant workers may have lost their lives.
A week before the FIFA World Cup begins, one question stands out above any others: Why was Qatar was granted the games in the first place? In 2010, when they were first awarded the games, no due diligence on human rights came into effect and no set conditions about protections for migrant workers were put in place. In 2017, FIFA did pledge to take “measures to promote the protection of human rights,” including “using its leverage with the relevant authorities.” Yet there is only so much they can do when Qatar’s penal code is so strict that, for instance, all forms of sex outside marriage is regarded as criminal. Resulting in sentences of up to seven years in prison – if they are Muslim, they can also be sentenced to floggings or stoning.
It will be interesting to see how the media’s priorities change as the tournament unfolds. It is usually the case that after the kickoff of the first game, matters normally quickly turn to talk on formations, strategies and whether or not Messi will finally win a major tournament for his country.
In the crypto world, attention is most certainly centered around Algorand’s partnership with FIFA who have called the cryptocurrency the tournament‘s “official blockchain platform”. Algorand’s founder, Silvio Micali, has gone on record to say: “This partnership with FIFA, the most globally recognised and distinguished organization in sports, will showcase the potential that the Algorand blockchain has to transform the way we all experience the world’s game.”
In some ways this could not have come at a worst time. Crypto is suffering from a major downturn, caused in part by the appalling mismanagement of the FTX platform. Nevertheless, the visibility for Algorand during one of the most watched televised events on the planet is likely to give it a major boost over the duration of the month long tournament. Indeed, the partnership is not just for Qatar 2022 but will continue and include the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™
Despite their issues pertaining to the partnership between FIFA’s Qatar World Cup and Algorand, it still presents a major step forward for Algorand’s credibility and testifies to the robustness of its technology. It is not surprising that opted for FIFA opted for Algorand considering the ESG-compliant opportunities that the advanced crypto currency provides. According to FIFA, the “blockchain is both carbon-negative and low cost.” Not only that, but Algorand will “provide the official blockchain-supported wallet solution” behind FIFA+ Collect.
This form of NFT, provides the opportunity for football fans around the world to collect and trade unique digital football moments. As a recent press release makes clear, collectors will be able to obtain “The greatest moments in FIFA World Cup history to iconic FIFA art and imagery.” This focus on contemporary art tallies with Qatar’s investment into a number of high-ranking artists who have unveiled large-scale sculptures and installations ahead of the tournament. Installed throughout Doha, including around the new football stadiums and the terminals of Hamad International airport, artists such as Katharina Fritsch, KAWs and Damien Hirst have all made work specially for Qatar in a boost to the small oil-rich state’s soft power status.
There is much to savour for the crypto sphere as Algorand continues to propel crypto currency technology into the mainstream. Despite the controversies, and the atrocious lack of accountability, the World Cup 2022 in Qatar still represents an unprecedented opportunity for the proof-of-stake blockchain cryptocurrency protocol and by the time Qatar vs Ecuador begins at 11 am EST on Sunday the 20th of November, we will know if Algorand has the ability to seize it.