Fifa will allow questions to be asked in Spanish and will also include this language in the translation of all World Cup press conferences, after the controversy generated when players like Achraf Hakimi, Vinícius Jr. or Frenkie de Jong were unable to respond in Spanish in their pre-match appearances.
As EFE learned, the organization decided to review a criterion that is not new: offer translation in the languages of the two participating teams, in addition to English as a universal language. In the matches played in Mexico, yes, Spanish had always been included.
For example, at the press conferences of Hakimi and Vinícius at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, five languages were enabled: French and Arabic for Morocco; Portuguese, Italian —by coach Carlo Ancelotti— and English.
The criterion sought to ensure that the greatest number of attendees from those countries understood questions and answers, and that those who followed the conferences remotely, through the official Fifa platforms, could do so in English.
However, what happened last Saturday —when Hakimi, Vinícius and De Jong expressed their intention to respond in Spanish to questions asked in that language—led Fifa to rethink its policy.
The organization took into account the large media presence Spanish speakers in the World Cup, as well as the number of players who are fluent in Spanish due to their time in leagues such as the Spanish one or other Latin-speaking countries..
Cases like that of Hakimi, born in Madrid; Vinícius, with eight seasons at Real Madrid; and De Jong, with seven in Barcelona, reflect the growing influence of the Spaniard in international football.