Africa-Press – Lesotho. Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, believes the Club World Cup, which begins on Saturday, represents the beginning of a historic “new era” for the sport, likening it to the 1930 first World Cup.
Speaking to AFP, Infantino also attacked those who had questioned FIFA’s ticketing scheme, claiming that those who had doubted the tournament’s necessity would soon come to their senses.
At Hard Rock Stadium, Inter Miami will play Egyptian club Al Ahly to kick off the 32-team league, which features clubs from every continent.
“It starts a new era of football, a new era of club football. A little bit like when, in 1930, the first World Cup, right, started,” Infantino told AFP.
“Everyone today speaks about the very first World Cup. That’s why it’s also, this World Cup here is historic.”
Infantino pointed out that only European and South American teams participated in the first World Cup, which was hosted in Uruguay in 1930.
He also said that the Club World Cup will provide an opportunity for clubs from outside of football’s traditional heartlands to compete on a global scale.
“We want to be inclusive. We want to give opportunities to clubs from all over the world,” he said.
“It’s really to globalise football, to make it truly, truly global. Because when you scratch the surface, we say it’s the number one sport in the world, and it is but then the elite is very concentrated in very few clubs, in very few countries,” he said.
The club tournament also provided opportunities for players from more than 80 countries, according to the Swiss official, who served as general secretary of the European organisation UEFA until becoming the head of FIFA in 2016.
“Countries who would never have a chance to play in a World Cup are suddenly part of a World Cup and they feel to be part of it, the fans of these players and of these clubs,” added Infantino, who noted several great players of the past who never played in a World Cup.
“A very good friend of mine is George Weah…former legend, great player, Ballon d’Or winner, only African player who ever won the Ballon d’Or, by the way.
“He never played in a World Cup. He would have been playing in a Club World Cup and made not only his club and also his country proud,” he added.
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