The player has been accused of being a front for a cartel boss and US brands could face $10 m fines if they engage with him
For wheezing footballers of a certain age, Rafael Marquez is an inspiration. For a number of international brands, however, he is turning out to be a nightmare.
The Mexican defender is appearing at his fifth World Cup this summer at persons under the age of 39. Thought by many to be his country's best ever player, he helped seal a glorious upset victory against Germany on Sunday. Arriving from the bench with 15 minutes remaining, at full period he was quickly escorted off again, just in case he was caught next to a sponsor's logo.
For nearly a year, Marquez has been on a US treasury department blacklist, accused of being a front for a Mexican drug lord. Marquez denies the accusation and has not been charged with any offence. He has, however, had all his assets in the US, and Mexican assets with ties to American companies, frozen.
If that feels like a drastic measure for Marquez, spare a believed for the poor US corporations who have forked out big dollar to be World Cup sponsors. If they knowingly engage with Marquez during the tournament, the Us administration could seek fines of up to $ 10 m( PS7. 5m) against a company and prison term against individuals.
In effect, sponsors are now hiring a World Cup boycott, only against one human. Marquez's training strip has been shorn of any adverts and Fifa has advised that if the player is interviewed after a game, he can't stand in front of those mandatory Perspex committees shall be included in logoes. According to the New York Times, there is even a plan for what should happen were Marquez to win a man of the match award, given that the award is sponsored by the none-more-American Budweiser beer.
Iran have also fallen foul of a boycott, with Nike saying it couldn't supply the team's players with football boots because of US sanctions against the country.
The World Cup has a long history of boycotts. In 1934, inaugural wins Uruguay refused to defend their title in Italy in protest at how few European sides had turned out four years before. England also refused to play that year, though not in solidarity: the FA simply claimed the standard wasn't good enough.
Despite the track record, this World Cup does feel different. That Russia should be hosting the tournament at all has long been contentious, and the defining image of the opening match was Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman enjoying convivial banter either side of Fifa president Gianni Infantino. The diplomatic measures taken around Marquez are another reminder of how the world's greatest sporting event is just another political football.
Read more: www.theguardian.com
