It is nothing less than a diplomatic and tactical stroke of genius that the highly debated president of the international football federation, Fifa, Swiss Gianni Infantino has now carried out. By spreading the organizer’s luck like numbing magic dust over six (6) different nations, he achieves most of all to silence all future criticism about who will be the next country in line. Appeasement and sedation The first three matches of the WC 2030 have been added to South America, more precisely Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. In that way, you get a receipt for the celebration of the tournament’s 100th anniversary. The first World Cup, in 1930, took place in Uruguay. Now the opening match will be played in the country’s capital, Montevideo. The next two in Asuncion and Buenos Aires. 1930: The first World Cup final, where Uruguay beat Argentina 4–2 at home. Photo: Ap The potential criticism of neglecting the tournament’s grandiose history is thus disarmed until around the year 2130. Which is a while longer. There is also no need to burden strained South American national economies with the construction of new, spectacular stadium facilities. After the story has been embraced – and everyone has smiled in the heat, it’s on to Spain, Portugal and Morocco for the remaining matches. In the insignificant number of 101. All six host nations also get a free place for the championship. The way you can do it when you have expanded the World Cup to 48 participating countries with effect from 2026. Up until now, the World Cup has never been organized on more than one continent. With this new and unexpected move, Fifa has suddenly appeased three entire continents in one. This can only be called a diplomatic masterpiece. Which most of all is done to camouflage the real purpose behind this. Vision 2034 For everything suggests that Fifa’s actual plan extends beyond 2030. It has long been speculated that Saudi Arabia would apply for this championship, in tactical partnership with Greece and Egypt. Coincidentally, then, the same three-continent move Infantino has now taken over from his increasingly good friend and partner Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Now bin Salman does not have to ally with puppet partners in other parts of the world. POWERFUL MEN: The Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani gives a speech during the football World Cup. On the right, Infantino and Mohammed bin Salman are watching closely. Photo: MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP Because at the same time that Fifa made its decision on the World Cup in 2030 in a most surprising way, they urged interested nations in Asia and Oceania to register their interest in hosting the World Cup in 2034. The World Cup will rotate between the continents, and now was suddenly the list shortened considerably – not surprisingly. It was also only hours before the Saudi Arabian Football Association announced that they will apply for the World Cup four years later. Australia has now also announced that they will try. After the success of organizing the women’s World Cup together with New Zealand this summer, this is nothing but logical. The world’s fourth most populous nation, Indonesia, is also expected to be able to sign up for the fight. Maybe China too. But no one believes any of them have a real chance. For modern football, in record time, it has gained a new center of power. Saudi Arabia has money, they have visions, they have more and more powerful political contacts – and they have not least a powerful ally in the Fifa president himself. On the same night that the highway to the 2034 World Cup was opened for them, Saudi-owned Newcastle won a sensational 4-1 victory over Kylian Mbappé and PSG at home on Tyneside. In December, Saudi Arabia organizes the WC for club teams for the first time. 11 years later, they may be replaced by national teams. BIG LOSS: Kylian Mbappé and PSG had a tough time against Saudi-owned Newcastle in the Champions League. Photo: Reuters A unique footprint Protests will come. Because Saudi Arabia continues to repress – and even execute – the opposition on a larger scale than ever. But the resistance loses its power over time. And goodwill can easily be bought, as the star invasion of Saudi Arabian club football has shown to some degree. Moreover, there is enough to react to already long before a possible World Cup comes to Saudi Arabia. The mildly ambitious setup for the World Cup in 2030 has already received harsh criticism from environmental organizations and other climate campaigners. Gianni Infantino is selling the championship as having “a unique global footprint”. Many believe that the uniqueness lies only in the amount of emissions that will result from the insane distances involved in the project. Also for supporters who want to follow their country, the gigantic format will present enormous challenges. Photo: Reuters In addition, there are already major concerns about the heat in the host nations in the middle of summer, when the tournament is to be held. Instead of talking about distances and climate, Infantino emphasized that the World Cup in 2030 would offer “unique social and cultural cohesion”. Whatever that means. He may be referring to the fact that we will experience an increased spotlight on the Moroccan occupation of the Western Sahara. Or Spanish bullfighting. Not even Gianni himself knows. He and his Fifa stand alone for one of the world’s most attractive awards. One that will never be part of Norway. If ever so much we have Jon Fosse as our very own captain. In Andvake from 2007, he describes something that could just as well have been international football in our time. “It’s just like that, there are some who own, and some who don’t, she says. And those who own rule over those, us, who don’t own,” she says. This is how Jon Fosse receives the Nobel Prize. And Saudi Arabia WC in 2034.
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