Almost always, the world federation based in Zurich justified a large number of its decisions by the fact that the increase in its income made it possible to redistribute more money. That it helped football to develop in remote countries and allowed more people, including women, to have infrastructure and means to be able to play football in the most remote islands and in the least well-endowed countries . Women’s football was one pretext among others for ever more gigantism at the expense of sport.
In fact, next summer, FIFA has decided to puncture the ball of the Women’s Euro which will be played in Switzerland to put in place and highlight its new toy which no one wants – neither the fans (the real ones, not those who idolize individuals or who think that football is played in 32 seconds on TikTok), nor the players: the Club World Cup. This will be contested under the control of the USA from June 15 to July 13. The women’s Euro? From July 2 to 27. Suffice to say that the start of the test will take second place.
And why? To make even more money. It seems that revenues of $5.8 billion as in 2022, the year of the World Cup in Qatar, are no longer enough for the International Federation to support its sport. So she added an event to gain even more. The players are already flat today, after a World Cup two years ago, a Euro last summer and this upcoming competition. There is barely one summer in four left when the biggest stars in the world will be able to properly rest. But otherwise, everything is fine…
This summer, the clubs will be in full transfer window and many players – Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk to give the example of Liverpool – are under contract until June 30, 2025. So, if they do not sign elsewhere or an extension until then, they will only be able to play the 1st round with their current team, roughly. Then, like if the Reds’ English full-back/midfielder signed (at random) with Real Madrid, he will finish the tournament with his new team, with the possibility of playing an 8th or a quarter against his old team. There is a good dose of genius behind it, all the same.
And then… This thing risks making me turn into a conspiracy theorist and leaving phases that don’t start “as if by chance” and that’s never a good sign for the future. This Club World Cup did not have a broadcaster for a long time, with FIFA hoping to sell its package to Apple. It didn’t happen. And the day before the draw, magically, DAZN takes over these rights for a billion dollars. Well, well… How practical!
-The company whose broadcasting of the French Ligue 1 is a fiasco and which loses hundreds of millions of euros per season will be able to show the competition for free all around the world. And guess what, at the same time, we learned that the Saudi Arabian investment fund was going to inject… 1 billion dollars for 10% of the shares.
This same country which obtained the 2034 World Cup without a vote (and in January, another nonsense, because it’s the only month that suits them).
As if by chance… Oh damn, I fell for it.
