Football

‘Because nobody wants to look at an obese person’ – Fans agree on Maya Dodd’s opinions about supermodel Adriana Lima’s appointment at FIFA

FIFA came under the scanner this week after it appointed supermodel Adriana Lima.as its global fan ambassador. The governing body of football said that the role of Lima will be to promote, […]

Mar 3, 2023 2:19 pm

FIFA came under the scanner this week after it appointed supermodel Adriana Lima.as its global fan ambassador. The governing body of football said that the role of Lima will be to promote, develop and participate in initiatives which will take place around the world to expand and grow the game of football.

“When you get to meet Adriana, you feel right away her warmth, kindness, and how approachable and passionate she is about our game,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a news release. “She lives and breathes ‘futebol’ and that is also why she can be an excellent link between FIFA and fans worldwide.” The appointment of Adriana was met with criticism when it came to some quarters.

Maya Dodd who had played in the first Women’s tournament which was organised by FIFA. She later served as an executive officer at FIFA. She was vehemently against the move and lambasted FIFA for making such a move.

When a girl plays football, the World sees her differently – Maya Dodd

“At the outset, the model’s public image (see Twitter graphic below) looked an odd fit for an organisation that says it wants to empower girls and women, and whose President is required to be ‘a vanguard’ for promoting gender equality (yes, that’s in the FIFA Governance Regulations),” Dodd wrote.

“Because when a girl plays football, the world sees her differently,” Dodd added. “Instead of being complimented on her nice looks or her pretty dress, she is valued for her game-saving tackles and brilliant goal-scoring. She’s admired for what she can DO, rather than how she looks, putting her on a more equal footing with her brothers in a way that can alter the whole trajectory of her life’s ambitions. Dodd wondered what can Lima give to football in a strongly worded statement that she made.

Lima on the other hand called the appointment a “great honour” “As a true ‘brasileira’, futebol is in my blood! It is a great honour to be part of the FIFA Family, the FIFAMILY as we call it! As a fan myself, I hope to connect at a greater level this family to the life of this beautiful sport: the fans! Welcome to FIFAN,” Lima wrote.

Let us take a look at the reactions on Twitter –