While claiming to be the godfather to international women's football, he suggested players should wear tighter shorts to emphasize their prettiness. At the 2012 World Player of the Year awards ceremonies, he failed to recognize American superstar Alex Morgan, a nominee. That was after he confused the wife of another American nominee, Amy Wambach, with the third nominee, Brazil's Marta, the world's most celebrated female player.

Negative press about FIFA's sexism is also building. Earlier this week, for example, the head of the New York-based group Legal Momentum called out the organization's gender discrimination in a piece for The Guardian.