The 1 billion dollars prize of Infantino: act of commercial interruption masked by benevolence | Club World Cup

IT takes some time before the voice emerges from the background of the haze, a fog of generically noodling electronic music, the type of music that is filled with a sense of comforting death, keeps music from the Euthanasia executive clinic.

Finally the rumor emerges, whispering through the headphones in that rich and re -emerging family, how to be spoken by the sun. This is a voice that says: I’m here to command. But they are also just a conduit for a divinity that flows through me and you. Even if mainly, and we are absolutely clear, through me.

This is the company of company Schmaltz fully made. The voice of an infinite swimming pool on the seven-star roof full of mountain water, new-car-syntonized and human deception, which in some way has learned to say words such as hope, joy, unity, Jude Bellingham, a billion dollars. It is obviously the voice of Gianni Infantino In public mode, a man who addresses you from the bridge of his private asteroid has made hope.

You have to admire Infantino in moments like this, if only for the way in which it has become an immediately recognizable human brand, always the same sounds, the same appearance, its iconic blue dress and tennis shoes, the eyes that seem alarming and painted, a standard bald man of standard level transformed into a living corporate logo. Celebrity is a mask that eats in the face. Take a look at what football can do.

It was a huge week for Infantino, with the Launch of the FIFA final marketing unit For the Club World Cup. Now we are in the hard sell period, less than 80 days to go this weekend at the opening game, Inter Miami V Al-Ahly at the Miami Hard Rock Stadium.

This month has already brought a soft launch with the presentation of the trophy, a left and horrible golden dish that, at the turn of a key, can be transformed into a sinister and horrible gold sphere, and which is still there on Donald Trump’s desk, Another show lazily on history. And now we have this, infantine that deals with the FIFA transmission channel, offering some details on cash prizes and also an idea of ​​the type of ideas and phrases around which this will be anchored.

He spoke of “a new point of reference for football”. He spoke of access and fairness, a truly creative piece of double thought since this is the most elitist club competition ever conceived. This will be the playbook. Universal opportunity and the hand of love in continuous evolution. Who knows, if you say it enough, it could also be true.

Mainly Infantino spoke of money. Understandably, because this is the only great element of wow factors here, not least in the United States, where there remains a celebratory reverence for money, in which people get up in charity dinners and will simply applaud you to be rich. The main figure is a hook. Infantino loves to say. A billion dollars! It is a truly transformative generosity. But that huge money is also a huge problem, which speaks to the central fault line under all this.

The billions of Gianni will be spoken among the 32 teams. Most will go to Europe, because Europe has 12 clubs that take part that they could dominate. So the richest continent will become richer. And within this the CWC will create a separate level of iniquity because the sums involved are too large, too distorted of domestic championships, in some cases equal to the transmission revenues of an entire season.

The winners will require almost £ 100 million. To offer a non -random example, Chelsea could be tested £ 40 million to get out of the group stage, in the process by undermining the carefully established details of the national financial rules. This is Fifa Digging the nails in the club’s game, shells of the consequences, penering beams of money in front of the class of ownership as an act of bright self -freedom.

What is your mandate for this? Fifa should be a trustee. Its mission is to supervise, promote and regular. Yet here it acts as an investor-provision and general sop to the powerful. Fifa knows that this is a problem, judging by the announcement of “a goal of other $ 250 million as solidarity for non -participating clubs”. But how will it work? Why is it just a target? What difference can actually do in front of this summer trogolo match only by invitation?

It is equally interesting to ask where the money actually comes from. There is a simple cause and effect here. Keep an eye on $ 1 billion. I will put it under this cup. Now follow the cup. At the end of last year, the sovereign fund of Saudi Arabia emerged planned to buy a participation of $ 1 billion in the Dazn broadcaster, which has now happened. Shortly after Dazn paid Fifa $ 1 billion (keep an eye on the cup) for the rights of the CWC. Fifa will now pay $ 1 billion to its participating clubs.

As sub -trayom, a secondary problem, some of those who take part could be owned by funds that also have saudi investments. In theory, that money given by Saudi Arabia to Dazn, from Dazn to Fifa, from Fifa to clubs, could theoretically happen again in the pocket of an entity of ownership of a part of a reminged by its initial donor. Connect alone.

Even without this level of profound conspiracy chat, the money is disbursed here that the domestic championships will be undeniably distorted. Something tangible is purchased, some elements of the future. Hence the increase in noise this week, because in the end the money will speak stronger and stronger, leading all the other concerns.

Dazn has heard, “a very aggressive plan” for retail sale this thing by exploiting the global scope of his stars on social media and, let’s face it, nobody has ever gone to survive by overestimating the power of mass celebrity. Fifa even granted the license to play with the rules, allowing 10 -day transfer window confused only for this competitionWith some wild speeches that Cristiano Ronaldo could even move from Al-Nasr only to play it, which seems strange until it is considered that Lionel Messi is somehow taking part.

This is already a reproductive confusion on times and window planning. More widely there is only a feeling of lost control, elements that dissolve in real time. What’s behind all this? To a certain extent, a kind of earth. Todd Boehly held an interesting speech at the recent Business of Football summit. Although he appeared strangely emptied of life on stage, like a man who speaks aloud of visions and plans just to keep up on a long journey, the co -owner of Chelsea continued to return to a certain point, the fact that the long -term future of sport It is in some form as a streaming productBlobs on a screen, Piggyback for some future global technological services.

This is a part of the noise behind all these developments, a leap for the location, each party is preparing and testing its scope, preparing to take a slice of whatever the new frontier, from FIFA to clubs to people who pump money from fringes.

The future is, as always, at stake. He begins here, with an act of commercial interruption that was benevolence, with a voice with a digital fog, which says unity, equity and growth, saying $ 1 billion, keep an eye on $ 1 billion.

Barney Ronay was Appointed editorialist of the year In the sports journalism awards this year