Club World Cup: Fifa president's baby up and running, and football may never be the same
After more than a year of uncertainty and criticism, the Club World Cup kicked off in Miami on Saturday, and football may never be the same.
At least that is what Fifa president Gianni Infantino has been telling anyone who would listen.
'This tournament will be the start of something historic that will change our sport for the better,' he said this week as part of an exhausting schedule of public engagements to drum up interest in the month-long event staged across 11 cities in the United States.
Football's newest tournament is what the sport has been waiting for, Infantino said, and on Saturday, despite considerable pushback and obstacles, he turned his personal passion project into a reality.
The Swiss lawyer, who holds one of the most powerful positions in the world as head of the game's governing body, was on hand at a largely full Hard Rock Stadium to watch Lionel Messi's Inter Miami draw 0-0 with Egyptian team Al-Ahly in the opening game of his supersized Club World Cup.
Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario (left) shakes hands with Inter Miami president and co-owner David Beckham as Fifa president Gianni Infantino looks on before the opening match. Photo: Reuters
The match may have been underwhelming, but the occasion – kicked off with a lavish opening ceremony featuring music, dance routines and fireworks – was a moment of immense pride for Infantino.
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