Some days ago, the Federation of International Football Association announced Adriana Lima, the longest-running model for top-shelf fashion and panty line outfit Victoria's Secret, as her Global Fan Ambassador in the early hours of Saturday, 3rd March 2023.
Bet on FIFA Women's World Cup Here!
Who is Adriana Lima?
Adriana Lima is a supermodel who has pageanted on the most elite runways the world can currently boast of - since the early age of fifteen! Currently the mother of three kids, the Brazilian-born quit Victoria's Secrets contract for what she termed as "a move towards female empowerment."
Known for headlining one of the most popular television commercials (KIA Motors) ever to grace our screens, the forty-one-year-old confirmed the appointment on her Instagram and LinkedIn page. Amidst the numerous chants of congratulatory messages, the appointment has also generated a tremendous backlash from avid football lovers. Of note is Moya Dodd's criticism, also revealed in a post on her personal social media page where she criticized the choice of selection as insensitive.
In Moya Dodd's words, women in sports should be recognized not based on appearance but based on pitch dexterity and personal abilities. Sharing a picture on Adriana Lima's Instagram page, she asked rhetorically if the football federation made a good choice by selecting the Brazilian mother of three.
Seriously, #FIFA, is this the fan engagement ambassador we need as the @FIFAWWC approaches? #tonedeaf."
Venting again on LinkedIn, Dodd added:
When a girl plays football, the world sees her differently. 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-game in a way that can alter the whole trajectory of her life's ambitions. The Pitch is not a runway pageant."
However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reinforced that, at the moment, no other alternative seems more adequate than Adriana Lima. He stated that the beauty queen encompassed values that could bind football fans across the globe. According to him, picking her was a choice made out of thorough insightfulness.
Adriana Lima remains our inaugural Global Ambassador, and that's final.
Who is Moya Dodd?
If by now you're still wondering who Moya Dodd is, she was a former member of the FIFA Governing Council. Moya Dodd is the person in front when speaking for women in sports. Regardless of the finality in the utterance of the FIFA President, Moya Dodd feels that the supermodel is a square peg in a round hole - out of place. She accused his choice of an obstinate intent to desecrate the numerous icons in the football world who could have served the purpose.
Since retiring as a player, Dodd has been a fearless advocate for gender equality in football and campaigning for women to have their voices heard at decision-making levels in the game. She is presently a FIFA Women's advocate and philanthropist.
Choosing her is not only out of place but out of sorts. How can we choose someone who poses semi-nude on camera as our first touch? She goes against everything our players work so hard for - Discipline, intent, abrasion, and control!" Denying these people these opportunities is like defying gravity."
In other news, Adriana Lima keeps celebrating on social media, expressing elation at how it must feel to join the FIFA family, or as she called it, FIFAMILY.
What do you think? Is she an out-of-place pick, or would she be an ideal representative of the FIFA Women in the forthcoming World Cup? Leave your comments below!
