Homer to play a World Cup referee in match-fixing episode of The Simpsons

They’ve taken a swipe at soccer before and now it seems as if The Simpsons are going to explore the murky world of match-fixing in the sport in time for the World Cup next summer.

In a move that will no doubt be making the top brass at FIFA say ‘D’oh’, FOX have announced that The Simpsons will be going to Brazil (again) for the World Cup despite the fact that the network won’t have broadcast rights to one of the biggest events in sport until 2018. According to a FOX statement, the episode will involve Homer acting as a referee at the World Cup in Brazil, where he will have his integrity tested by South American gangsters offering him bribes to try and fix the result of certain games. There have, of course, been numerous match-fixing scandals in football in recent years, while the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar has also been questioned, particularly considering that it will likely be moved from its traditional summer date to avoid the stiflingly hot conditions in the country during the summer months. So all in all, it’s hardly ideal that FIFA will be put in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons by a show that remains hugely popular despite a noticeable decline in quality in recent years. “Scheduled to air in March 2014, a themed episode of THE SIMPSONS inspired by the FIFA World Cup™ entitled “You Don’t Have to Live Like a Referee,” will feature Homer and his recruitment as a FIFA World Cup™ referee, after Lisa praises his integrity in a Springfield Elementary speech contest held on the youth soccer field,” a FOX statement read. “The episode follows Springfield’s most famous family as it journeys to Brazil, only to find Homer’s honesty put to the test by one of the slickest South American gangsters in the soccer match-bribing business.” According to Eurosport, Fox are also set to team up with some of the world’s biggest football teams to produce a range of Simpsons-themed merchandise, with the likes of Barcelona, Boca Juniors, Corinthians and Zenit St. Petersburg all on board for a range of Simpsons products that will be available sometime next year. It will be interesting to see how the match-fixing episode of The Simpsons will turn out, but it will do well to be entertaining as the last time the sport was covered in some depth by the most famous animated family of all time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYUa7DpPses Hat-tip: Eurosport