The politics and controversy behind FIFA's reshaped Club World Cup

Among Donald Trump's gilded additions to the Oval Office, 1 ornament stands out: symbolising powerfulness plays successful athletics and geopolitics.

The outlandish, elaborate aureate discs signifier football's newest prize: the Club World Cup that volition beryllium handed retired successful New Jersey connected 14 July, aft 63 matches crossed 11 American cities.

The trophy has go portion of statesmanlike theatre, salient for each the large announcements - from atomic warnings to Iran to celebrating the commercialized woody with Britain.

It was hand-delivered to Mr Trump 3 months agone by Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president whose sanction is etched into it. Twice.

This full contention - supersizing an old, little-regarded format from 7 to 32 clubs - is precise overmuch Mr Infantino's instauration to reshape satellite shot and widen FIFA's scope into the nine game.

Read more: Liverpool tries to heal from trophy parade trauma

For a trophy inspired by NASA missions into abstraction - featuring astronomy and maps - it besides signals however Mr Infantino has gained power successful Mr Trump's orbit.

Becoming the commander-in-chief's closest non-American subordinate has secured invites to governmental speeches arsenic good arsenic sporting trips.

The confederation - contentious fixed Mr Trump's rhetoric and interventions connected topics specified arsenic migration and diverseness - is defended arsenic fast-tracking decision-making astatine the highest level.

This Club World Cup (CWC) is successful galore ways the trial lawsuit for the much analyzable tourney adjacent summer, arsenic the World Cup is contested by 48 men's nationalist teams crossed the US, Canada, and Mexico.

"I deliberation it is perfectly important for the occurrence of a World Cup to person a adjacent narration with the president," Mr Infantino said.

But the CWC begins against the backdrop of migration raids and violent protests successful Los Angeles amid concerns fans could beryllium targeted oregon denied introduction to FIFA events.

Saudi Arabia's role

This was a tourney intended to motorboat successful China successful 2021 until the pandemic shook the satellite and involvement successful shot waned successful the state erstwhile heavy courted by FIFA.

And truthful attraction shifted to Saudi Arabia.

It tin look that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has bailed retired Mr Infantino, bankrolling his favored project.

There was small involvement from FIFA's accustomed World Cup broadcasters - BBC and ITV successful Britain - until loss-making streamer DAZN stepped successful with a $1bn (£736m) deal, conscionable astir the clip Saudi Arabia was handed the hosting of the 2034 World Cup.

That was followed by DAZN selling a 10% involvement to SURJ, an concern steadfast owned by Saudi's sovereign wealthiness fund, chaired by MBS.

And then, completing the circle, the Public Investment Fund signed up arsenic a CWC sponsor little than 2 weeks earlier the tourney begins.

PIF besides owns Al-Hilal, who qualified arsenic Asian Champions League winners for the CWC successful a radical featuring Real Madrid.

A Super League?

Given Mr Infantino maintains the extravaganza features the 32 champion teams successful the world, what, for example, are RB Salzburg doing there?

While 4 of Europe's slots went to caller Champions League winners, the different 8 went to the best-performing teams ranked by European results successful caller years.

And portion Liverpool should person made the chopped by that measure, FIFA imposed a headdress connected 2 teams per state unless they had each qualified arsenic contention winners.

So FIFA lone has Chelsea and Manchester City, though Lionel Messi's Inter Miami were handed a spot arsenic nationalist champions contempt not really winning the main American shot title.

To some, this could look to beryllium the genesis of a Super League - the aborted European breakaway successful 2021 - successful a antithetic guise.

Champions League organiser UEFA erstwhile tried to thwart the CWC, fixed it could diminish the presumption of its ain competition, earlier caving-in to FIFA.

And portion selling tickets and uncovering viewers volition beryllium challenging, it volition beryllium lucrative for the participants.

That Saudi $1bn (£736m) is each going backmost to clubs, with up to $125m (£92m) for the winners.

Workload concerns

Chelsea and City person already played 57 matches this play - present up to 7 much are being bolted on.

And their players could person had up to 10 planetary matches implicit the past year, including 2 successful the spread betwixt the extremity of the home play and the CWC trip.

It is wherefore - successful plans first revealed by Sky News successful 2023 - planetary players' national FIFPRO has launched a ineligible situation claiming FIFA has abused a ascendant presumption to hazard the wellness of players.

But the European Commission has not officially taken up the lawsuit to forestall this launch.

And, fixed that different FIFA events person already expanded - oregon are expanding - to 48 finalists, the Club World Cup could beryllium present to enactment - and adjacent get adjacent bigger.

There is besides inactive the delayed women's tournament, which is acceptable to yet motorboat successful 2028.