Follow-up: FIFA partly rescinds on high altitude ban

Note: Later today we’ll review last night’s Copa America action.

After weeks of campaigning by several Andean states, the world’s governing body on soccer retracted part of their ban on hosting matches at high altitudes. FIFA’s new edict now prohibits games from being played at more than 9800 feet above sea level (not 8200 feet plus) and only applies to World Cup qualifying matches.

The ban will help several the protesting countries such as Colombia and Ecuador, but it will not apply to Bolivia’s capital. Bolivian president Evo Morales has been one of the most notable protesters against the ban and according to Reuters it has helped unite the politically divided country:

“While critics say his approach smacks of populism, it is going down well with many ordinary Bolivians, who acknowledge their country's natural advantage in high-altitude matches with unabashed delight. ‘His position in defense of altitude is very admirable and it's meant he's won greater acceptance, even among the middle class,’ said Bolivian military retiree Robin Johns.”

Image- BBC News (Bolivian poster that says “United countrymen, high-altitude nation”)

Sources- BBC News, The Latin Americanist, CNN, SignonSanDiego.com