FIFA president Gianni Infantino says the Club World Cup kicks off this weekend. He states it marks a historic “new era” for the game. Infantino compares it to the first World Cup held in 1930.
In an interview with AFP, Infantino also took aim at critics of FIFA’s ticketing policy. He said that sceptics who had questioned the need for the tournament would quickly change their minds.
The 32-team competition includes clubs from all continents. It gets underway with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami facing Egyptian club Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium on June 14.
“It starts a new era of football, a new era of club football. A little bit like when, in 1930, the first World Cup, right, started,” Infantino told AFP.
“Everyone today speaks about the very first World Cup. That’s why it’s also, this World Cup here is historic.”
FIFA president Infantino highlighted that the inaugural 1930 World Cup in Uruguay featured only European and South American teams, contrasting this with the Club World Cup’s mission to provide clubs from non-traditional football regions a platform to compete on the global stage
“We want to be inclusive. We want to give opportunities to clubs from all over the world,” he said.
“It’s really about globalising football – making it truly worldwide. We call it the world’s number one sport. It is. However, when you look deeper, the elite level is concentrated among very few clubs in very few countries,” he said.
The Swiss official was general secretary of European body UEFA before taking the helm at FIFA in 2016. He said that the club tournament also offered chances to players from over 80 countries.
“Countries who would never have a chance to play in a World Cup are suddenly part of a World Cup and they feel to be part of it, the fans of these players and of these clubs,” added Infantino, who noted several great players of the past who never played in a World Cup,
“A very good friend of mine is George Weah… former legend, great player, Ballon d’Or winner, only African player who ever won the Ballon d’Or, by the way.
“He never played in a World Cup. He would have been playing in a Club World Cup and made not only his club and also his country proud,” he added.
Infantino dismissed concerns that the tournament added to fixture congestion but acknowledged that some fans were yet to be sure of the value of the tournament, saying, though, that it would quickly change.
“I believe, I’m convinced that, you know, as soon as the ball starts rolling, the whole world will realise what is happening here. It’s something special,” he said.
Reports of low uptake of tickets for same games has led to criticism of FIFA’s ticketing policy with “dynamic pricing”, increasingly common in the United States, allowing for prices to rise and fall according to demand.
But Infantino defended the approach and the decision to offer heavy discounts to students in Miami.
“When I was a student and I didn’t have money, I would have loved FIFA to come to me and say, you want to come and watch a World Cup match?”
“We don’t want to see empty stadiums. I believe the stadiums will be pretty full,” he said.
The FIFA president said that the tournament, which secured a global broadcasting deal with DAZN reported to be worth US$1 billion, was already an economic success and stressed that all the money generated from commercial deals would be ploughed back into the game.
Asked how he would judge whether the tournament had been a success, Infantino said he would feel it in his “heart” but said he was confident.
“In terms of inclusivity, in terms of economy, in terms of fan interest, you take all of these criteria, we’ll speak again at the end of the Club World Cup, but already now, I (feel positive), when I look at the number of tickets sold, and I look at the TV rights,” he said, noting that the games were available on DAZN’s streams for free.
“Tell me one top competition today, where you can watch football for free?“ he asked.
The Club World Cup has also been caught up in the fierce debates over immigration control in the US, with games being held near Los Angeles, scenes of violent clashes between protestors and immigration officers.
But Infantino said security is always a top priority, and they are monitoring the situation and are in constant contact with the authorities.
