Fernando Veiga Gomes calls for rigorous governance in any potential private management of the World Cup
Fernando Veiga Gomes, co-head of Abreu Advogados’ Sports Law practice, has written an opinion piece for Record on the possibility of private entities becoming involved in the management of the FIFA World Cup and the governance challenges that such a model could raise.
In the article, the lawyer draws on recent controversies surrounding FIFA to reflect on issues of accountability, transparency and institutional credibility in sport. In his view, the potential involvement of private operators in managing the World Cup could bring greater efficiency, increased investment capacity, improved fan experiences and higher revenues available for distribution.
Fernando Veiga Gomes points to Formula 1 as one example of a model in which the commercial and competitive management of the sport coexists with an entity responsible for sporting regulation. According to the lawyer, this separation between commercial interests and the regulatory function is particularly relevant in football, given the sport’s economic, social and institutional significance.
As Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA), Fernando Veiga Gomes also highlights the importance of replacing reactive approaches with mechanisms focused on prevention, independent scrutiny and the continuous assessment of sports organisations.
Read the full opinion piece.
