'They will love it', FIFA boss Infantino dismisses Club World Cup critics, expects successful tournament
In an interview with AFP, Infantino also took aim at critics of FIFA's ticketing policy and said that skeptics who had questioned the need for the tournament would quickly change their minds.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino says the Club World Cup, which kicks off on Saturday, marks a historic "new era" for the game, comparing it to the first World Cup held in 1930.
The 32-team competition, with clubs from all continents, gets underway with Inter Miami facing Egyptian club Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium.
Africa will be represented at the Club World Cup by Ahly, Esperance Tunis, Wydad Casablanca and Mamelodi Sundowns.
In an interview with AFP, Infantino also took aim at critics of FIFA's ticketing policy and said that skeptics who had questioned the need for the tournament would quickly change their minds.
"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."
The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930 and Infantino noted that only European and South American teams took part, adding that the Club World Cup would give a chance to clubs from outside of football's traditional heartlands to play on the global stage.
"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 No 1 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 Swiss official, who was general secretary of European body UEFA before taking the helm at FIFA in 2016, said that the club tournament also offered chances to players from over 80 countries.
"A very good friend of mine is George Weah. He is a 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.
Infantino dismissed concerns that the tournament added to fixture congestion but acknowledged that some fans were yet to be sure of the value of the tournament, saying, though, that would quickly change.
Kick off for the first match between Inter Miami and Al Ahly will be played at 3 am Kenyan time.
