Bizarre FIFA rule explained as Levi’s forced to change stadium name for World Cup
There's been no short of controversy at this summer's World Cup but we can't even blame the US for the latest bizarre twist.
Even before the actual football began, we knew that there was going to be a fair share of stories away from the pitch, with Donald Trump's travel ban often taking central stage.
We've seen fans, staff members, referees and even players struggle to gain entry into the country ahead of the iconic tournament and even the lucky ones who have managed to get in safely are having to spend thousands on tickets.
FIFA has been called embarrassing on a number of occasions in the first few days of the tournament, with empty seats a regular sight while the forced water breaks are already grinding down viewers with many wondering whether it's all just a way of making more money.
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And worryingly, that does seem to be a significant concern of the footballing organisation given the recent change they've made to stadium names, as the 11 NFL stadiums which are hosting matches have been forced to cover up the brands in their names.
The Levi's Stadium has officially been renamed as the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium for the duration of the World Cup, and Levi's has had its say about the bizarre change on social media.
When the stadium hosted its first World Cup match on Sunday, Levi’s posted a photo of the covered logo above the scoreboard, with this message: “Welcoming the world to the beautiful [redacted] stadium!”
Stadiums might well have been happy to hear that they'd been selected to host a match at the world's biggest sporting event but that comes with a lot of sacrifices, whether it's relaying the grass or removing all sponsorship that isn't associated with FIFA.
Anyone who doesn't comply with FIFA's rules could face severe consequences including hefty fines, so you imagine that they'll all have been warned before the tournament officially kicked off.
The next World Cup, which will be hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, alongside three centenary games in Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay, will face the same rules, which means we can thankfully go back to calling it Camp Nou rather than the Spotify Camp Nou.
Although the sponsors might not be too happy, the astronomical price of tickets, as well as food and drink inside the stadium, probably means that the stadium owners are making up their money through other routes.
So, if you're brave enough to tune into Austria vs Jordan at 5am on Wednesday (UK time), then you might well notice that the stadium has got a rather strange name.
And if anyone asks why that is in the pub later that day when England play their first match of the tournament, you can now explain exactly why. You're welcome.
James Moorhouse