FIFA’s appointment of Adriana Lima as international fan ambassador attracts ire from ex-soccer star Moya Dodd

FIFA got here underneath hearth earlier this week for its appointment of supermodel Adriana Lima as its international fan ambassador.

The soccer world’s governing physique mentioned Lima’s function might be to develop, promote and take part in a number of initiatives world wide to assist develop soccer.

“When you get to satisfy Adriana, you’re feeling straight away her heat, kindness, and the way approachable and passionate she is about our sport,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino mentioned in a information launch. “She lives and breathes ‘futebol’ and that’s additionally why she might be a wonderful hyperlink between FIFA and followers worldwide.”

Brazilian mannequin Adriana Lima poses on the inexperienced carpet earlier than the Best FIFA Football Awards in Paris, France, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

However, not everybody within the soccer world was happy with FIFA’s choice to nominate Lima.

Moya Dodd, a former Australian soccer star who performed in FIFA’s first girls’s world match and later turned a high-ranking soccer government at FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Football Federation of Australia, blasted the group for Lima’s appointment.

Dodd criticized the transfer as “tonedeaf” and was left “baffled” by FIFA’s advertising and marketing technique. Dodd would develop on these ideas in a LinkedIn submit.

“At the outset, the mannequin’s public picture (see twitter graphic under) regarded an odd match for an organisation that claims it needs to empower women and girls, and whose President is required to be ‘a vanguard’ for selling gender equality (sure, that is within the FIFA Governance Regulations),” Dodd wrote.

FRENCH SOCCER FEDERATION PRESIDENT RESIGNS AFTER AUDIT FINDS HE NO LONGER HAS THE LEGITIMACY TO LEAD

Moya Dodd, AFC vice chairman, speaks in the course of the 63th FIFA Congress at Swami Vivekananda International Convention Center on May 31, 2013, in Port Louis, Mauritius. (Alexander Hassenstein – FIFA/FIFA by way of Getty Images)

“But past generalizations, a fast Wikicheck confirmed that this mannequin particularly was identified for crash-diet consuming & consuming, and for believing that abortion is a criminal offense. Losing 8 kilos (that is about 3.5 kilos) in 9 days would not sound in any respect protected; neither is it according to a wholesome ‘athlete’s thoughts’ which she references.

“I requested whether or not the FIFA ambassador might be delivering messages on physique picture, wellbeing and wholesome consuming; or on a girl’s proper to decide on?”

Dodd questioned how Lima would develop the sport.

Moya Dodd attends a FIFA government committee assembly press convention on Dec. 3, 2015, in Zurich, Switzerland. (Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images)

“Because when a woman performs soccer, the world sees her in another way,” Dodd added. “Instead of being complimented on her good appears to be like or her fairly gown, she is valued for her game-saving tackles and sensible goal-scoring. She’s admired for what she will be able to DO, quite than how she appears to be like, placing her on a extra equal footing along with her brothers in a method that may alter the entire trajectory of her life’s ambitions. 

“In a FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ yr, that is the message that needs to be ringing loud and true world wide. Where a super-model matches into that is really baffling.”

Lima known as the appointment a “nice honor” in a press release on social media.

“As a real ‘brasileira’, futebol is in my blood! It is a superb honor to be a part of the FIFA Family, the FIFAMILY as we name it! As a fan myself, I hope to attach at a better degree this household to the lifetime of this stunning sport: the followers! Welcome to FIFAN,” she wrote.

Adriana Lima and Andres Cantor put together to announce the winner of the fan award in the course of the Best FIFA Football Awards 2022 on Feb. 27, 2023, in Paris. (Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

FIFA did not instantly reply to Fox News Digital’s request for remark in regard to Dodd’s criticism.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup is ready to start on July 20.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.