Gianni Infantino is clinging on by a thread. The FIFA president once again failed to judge the mood, but this time, it could prove fatal. The backlash from the wider football world forced Infantino to make a U-turn regarding the planned private investment in FIFA competitions. Such has been the backlash that there have been calls, led by UEFA, for Infantino to lose his job.
Even if the Swiss-Italian clings on this time, it’s likely Infantino’s power will be significantly hindered, given the scepticism surrounding his decision-making. One of the issues he could face in the future surrounds the expanded Club World Cup, which was one of Infantino’s brainchildren since he was introduced as FIFA president in 2016.
The inaugural edition took place in 2025, where 32 teams from across the world competed at the tournament in the United States.
In the build-up to it, the competition was bailed out by DAZN, who paid £740million for the broadcast rights, before a Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund-owned company bought a stake in the broadcaster.
However, anger continues to brew as some of the prize money promised to clubs hasn’t been paid out. The funds earned by competing clubs is said to have been paid, but £185m was set aside for solidarity payments to clubs that did not compete in the 2025 tournament and remains unpaid.
The idea behind the scheme was to ensure a proportion of the event’s funding was distributed throughout the football pyramid. The original idea was for £50,000 to be given to every top-flight club in the world, but there is no sign of the payments being made.
Further issues could arise ahead of the 2029 edition, which still doesn’t have a host, as nothing has been agreed between FIFA and leading European clubs on participation in a future tournament. A number of nations have expressed an interest in registering a bid for the competition, which switched to a four-year format one year ago.
Australia and New Zealand, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, and England have all hinted at hosting the competition. However, there is a belief that the most likely hosts will be either Qatar, or the United States, with FIFA reportedly considering giving it to the former as a bid to continue the growth of the sport in the North American nation.