Former FIFA President Who Created the Women’s World Cup, Dies at Age 100

​Joao Havelange, who as president of FIFA for two decades transformed football’s governing body into a multi-billion dollar business, has died aged 100.

According to a shocking report by Sky Sports, Brazil’s former FIFA president, Joao Havelange, who helped bring the ongoing Olympic Games to Rio, has passed away at the age of 100.

Havelange, who was suffering from a respiratory infection, died early Tuesday while Rio de Janeiro was hosting the Olympic Games, according to the Samaritano Hospital.

New York Times reported that an IOC statement said its thoughts were with Havelange’s family, adding: “The IOC has agreed to a request from the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee to allow the Brazilian flag to be flown at half-mast during the day in Olympic venues.”

Havelange expanded the World Cup from 16 to 32 teams and made it one of sports’ most important events. He organized six World Cups as FIFA president from 1974 to 1998. He secured lucrative broadcast deals, brought nations into FIFA and created the women’s World Cup.

The late Brazilian football icon was a predecessor to Sepp Blatter at world football’s governing body, serving from 1974 to 1998.

He resigned as Fifa’s honorary president in April 2013 following an investigation into bribery allegations and was admitted to hospital the following year with a lung infection.

He was an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member from 1963 until 2011, resigning because of ill health.

Havelange represented Brazil in swimming at the 1936 Olympics – the year he qualified as a lawyer – before his election to the IOC.

As Fifa president he led the World Cup’s expansion from 16 to 32 teams, with six competitions held under his tenure.

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