With ticket sales slow and concerns over burnout, football’s governing body is battling to win hearts and mindsThis week president Donald Trump convened a prayer meeting in the Oval Office. Gathered around the Resolute desk, constructed from the timbers of a British naval vessel, a series of pastors laid their hands on the president’s thinning hair and prayed for his success. The only other item on the desk? The enormous intricate bauble that will serve as the trophy for Fifa’s Club World Cup.That Trump should like the look of an object lacquered in 24-carat gold plating, and designed by the New York jewellers Tiffany & Co, is not perhaps a huge surprise. But its prominent position on the world’s most consequential desktop will surely also have been welcomed by the president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, who left the trophy with Trump this month on his visit to the White House, a week after Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Continue reading...
FIFA is heavily promoting the expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the US this summer, offering a $1 billion prize pot. Ticket sales are uneven, and broadcast sublicensing deals are still pending. FIFA faces challenges including replacing a team due to ownership issues, but aims to establish the tournament as the pinnacle of club football despite the significant risks involved. Gianni Infantino met with Donald Trump, leaving the Club World Cup trophy with him.
