As well as the zenith of club football, the upcoming Club World Cup is also its saviour. This week produced one of the great sentences of our time: “Truly, and for the first time, club football will unite the world – and Qatar Airways will be a key partner to the Fifa Club World Cup in making this happen.”
This unity doesn’t extend to anyone from the 19 countries affected by Donald Trump’s travel ban who might want to attend the tournament, but these are presumably mere details. Still, great to get a new sponsor on board so late in the day. Because you really cannot spell “football will unite the world” without Q-A-T-A-R-A-I-R-W-A-Y-S.
Infantino with Donald Trump in the Oval Office (Photo: Getty)
It has been an interesting few weeks for Fifa’s president, who was accused of pursuing “private political interests” and causing a walkout at Fifa’s congress because he turned up late from a trip to the Middle East with Trump.
Infantino’s hope, presumably, is that some of his big boy friends might turn up as VVIPs at the Club World Cup. If so, they might like to bring several thousand in their entourage to fill up some of the empty seats. Last week, The Athletic noted that seats for the opening game – Inter Miami playing in Miami – had been reduced to 16 per cent of their original price. Gianni Infantino: cheapening the game – as a slogan it needs some work.
Should the head of a non-profit organisation governing world football be late to a meeting of its 211 nations that discusses how global issues affect the game because he’s watching Trump sign a gold football presented by the Emir of Qatar? Hard to say. Infantino is a man who could land on Mars and be smiling with a dignitary and discussing how they work for the cause* within 20 minutes (*exact cause to be confirmed at a later date).
Then, on Thursday, it was revealed that the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia – who also own Newcastle United – would be entering into a long-term partnership with Fifa, which begins with PIF becoming the main sponsor of the Club World Cup. Lovely when things work out, isn’t it. I wonder if, one day, 18 percent of us all will be owned by PIF?
Infantino walks onto the set with mock confusion, holding the official match ball as a clever branding reveal. He then proceeds to insinuate that Cristiano Ronaldo might be at the tournament despite currently being contracted to a club that hasn’t qualified. Which sounds silly until you realise that Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami are only there because Fifa deemed winning the MLS Supporter’s Shield as a valid qualifier.
There is a serious point to make here. Fifa’s remit, now hidden beneath layers of gold plating, is to act as guardians of the game and its president’s role is to uphold that mission. The Club World Cup will generate money, because that’s what exercising power and influence always does, but it is a great disruptor.
Your next read
square FOOTBALLEverton track Icelandic striker with goals in his blood
square FOOTBALLWill Wrexham sign Jamie Vardy? I asked their transfer adviser
square FOOTBALLThe three biggest gambles in Lionesses Euros squad – and if they’ll pay off
square FOOTBALL‘A loss for Arsenal’: The man Daniel Levy wants to revolutionise Spurs
Which all matters, but means nothing at all. Over the last three years, there have been doubts about the Club World Cup taking place. You’re missing the point: what these people want, they get. Who cares if there are empty seats – warp the Field of Dream principle: if you build it, you can say that people came because the money came in anyway.
There comes a level of power where you can bend the truth to your story: human rights issues in Qatar won’t be a problem; hosting a 48-team World cup in a country where some of the cities haven’t been built yet causes no sustainability issues; the Club World Cup will unite the world.
I wonder if the 2025 Club World Cup might be a line in the sand, the beginning of an end somehow. We will watch some of it, of course. But we’ll feel a little grubby doing it, late-night TV that provokes a pang of embarrassed guilt as we catch our reflection on the screen. Fitting that it’s on Channel 5, really.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Ignore the dictators! It’s time for Club World Cup to unite the world )
Also on site :