BEHOLD: THE COPA GIANNI
After years of existing only as a fever dream inside the shiny, spacious cranium of Fifa’s greatest showman, Gianni Infantino, the first edition of an expanded, summertime Club World Cup that nobody asked for is finally here. Infantino’s most ambitious vanity project to date is about to collide with reality, and as students of the Swiss school of football farce, we’re excited. It’s not so much a question of what will go wrong over the next 30 sun-baked days in an increasingly dystopian USA USA USA, but what might actually go right. Saturday’s opener pitches Egyptian giants Al-Ahly (who qualified by winning the 2021 African Big Cup) against MLS middleweights Inter Miami (who qualified by having Lionel Messi in their team) at the 65,000-capacity Hard Rock Stadium. Fifa has denied reports that fewer than 20,000 tickets have been sold for the game in Miami, but the tournament’s dynamic pricing model is trending in one direction: from $349 in December, some tickets are now cheaper than $60.
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In an effort to fill seats, local college students have reportedly been offered a multi-buy deal at $4 a seat. Other early highlights include Bayern Munich v Auckland City, an amateur side who claimed Oceania’s only qualifying spot and may be hoping to avoid a baseball scoreline in Cincinnati. PSG v Atlético Madrid on Sunday might sound a more bearable prospect – but the game will be played in 30-degree heat at the Rose Bowl, a roofless arena on the outskirts of a city in turmoil. Donald Trump’s response to protests against deportations in Los Angeles has been to send in the military; hosting glorified pre-season friendlies is the last thing on anyone’s minds right now. It may come to pass that Gianni’s great white elephant is obscured by the elephant in the room.
LAFC, who face Chelsea in Atlanta on Monday, are a club with deep roots in their city’s migrant communities. Earlier this week, their fans held a silent protest against ICE raids in the city during an MLS game. Suddenly, Liam Delap’s potential debut is far from the biggest story in town. The main thing Infantino should be asking himself – save for where that bloody key has gone – is whether Trump’s increasingly visible and emboldened hostile environment is a suitable backdrop to a global football jamboree featuring 32 teams from 20 nations. Long derided as a half-baked joke, the rebooted Copa Gianni has landed in a furnace of political tension – and suddenly doesn’t seem so funny any more.
On the eve of the tournament, US Customs and Border Protection have confirmed they will be “suited and booted, ready to provide security for the first round of games,” in a social media post that could scarcely have sounded more ominous. Fifa’s best chance of any kind of atmosphere at this month’s matches will come when Latin American sides meet, attracting expat fans – like River Plate v Monterrey at the Rose Bowl, for instance. Now, the only people in America who actually want to go and watch these games might fear what awaits them at the venue. “It’s perfectly reasonable to be scared,” the American Immigration Council told Reuters. “We haven’t seen large-scale immigration enforcement actions at sporting events like this historically, but this is also a moment that is not like any other in US history.” Good job there’s not a 48-nation World Cup taking place there in exactly 12 months’ time, then. Wait, what’s that? Oh, Gianni!
QUOTE OF THE DAY
The time has come for me to move on. But, even as I leave, I know I have left a big piece of my heart at Brentford, not just at the football club but with the community and, of course, the incredible and loyal supporters. For my family and I, it has been a privilege to be allowed to be part of such a special community – it’s an experience and adventure that we will cherish for life” – Thomas Frank pens a love letter to Brentford fans after racing round the North Circular for a different kind of adventure at the Cirque du Spurs.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
On the dawn of the ‘it doesn’t matter what you call it, it’s a disgraceful monstrosity that shouldn’t exist’, can I make a plea that we just ignore it? I mean, I know any reputable sports writer, or someone who has to knock out The Daily, can’t, because of journalism etc, but surely, the 1,057 can keep the letters section free of any mention of the wretched thing. C’mon folks, pedantry, nostalgic whimsy, godawful puns and lengthy diatribes about the state of it all suffused a sense of powerlessness and angst. We’ve got this. Maybe still go easy on the puns” – Jon Millard.
Good luck to Crystal Palace fans, if Woody Johnson does buy John Textor’s shares (yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition). The Jets are an absolute clown show and have been so forever. Johnson is generally regarded as the stupidest owner in the league, and there’s admittedly tough competition. So, yeah, could be fun in south London” – Joe Pearson.
Re: Trent Alexander-Arnold’s fluent unveiling (yesterday’s Football Daily). I assume Florian Wirtz will be busy reading and learning his scouse in time for the new season” – Kevin Quinn.
When the new manager of Spurs inevitably reproduces his appalling starts suffered at his previous clubs, will the headline be ‘Frank’s side bottom’, accompanied by an image of Thomas’s spherical fibreglass head?” – Peter McHugh.
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If you do have any, please send letters to [email protected]. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Kevin Quinn, la. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here.
RECOMMENDED ASKING
Is there anything you have always wanted to ask the USWNT and former Chelsea coach Emma Hayes? Then now is your chance.
ABSOLUTELY IFAB-ULOUS
Sweden has given us so much: Björn Bjorg, Abba, flat-packed furniture, Volvos, Zlatan, meatballs, herring and, um [snip! – Football Daily Lazy Stereotypes Ed]. And now we can add an amendment to the offside laws to that impressive list. Yep, Swedish third-tier side Torns IF have changed the laws of the game after “gentle persistence” in exploring an offside loophole. Football’s law-making body, Ifab, has amended the text of the offside law to prevent players from doing something they would never do in a million years anyway.
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The change comes after Torns IF, from the speck on a map that is Stångby near Malmö, wondered whether a player could get around the offside law by keeping the ball balanced in the crook of their foot. Yep. A video showing Torn trying to put their “scoop pass” trick into practice went viral in 2023 and provoked lengthy correspondence between Torn and Ifab, who tried to dismiss the query but then found it “amusing” and agreed to review the wording of the law. David Elleray, the former Premier League referee and one-time schoolmaster who is technical director of Ifab, wrote to Torn and thanked the club “for your part in this clarification” and “for your gentle persistence in this matter”. Torn’s Tim Nielsen, said it felt “absolutely fantastic to have contributed to the rules of the beautiful game”, adding: “Ifab required some convincing, but we got there in the end.”
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
Liverpool have agreed a potential £116m deal (£100m plus add-ons) to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. Insert pun about him not being the Wirtz ever signing here …
Tottenham have filed high court proceedings against Manchester United co-owner Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s company Ineos over a terminated sponsorship agreement.
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Goals from Harvey Elliott, Jonathan Rowe and Charlie Cresswell propelled England’s Under-21s to a 3-1 win over the Czech Republic, getting their European Championship defence off to a decent start.
Uh oh, there could be another multi-club operation on the scene. Burnley’s owner Alan Pace is in advanced talks to buy a stake in Espanyol. Sigh.
USA USA USA winger Christian Pulisic has defended his decision to skip the Gold Cup and slammed those questioning his commitment as “way out of line”. He fumed: “I just don’t understand why so many people are so big on just wanting to give out these [hot] takes when they’ve been through tough moments themselves.”
Real Madrid have won the race to sign tricky playmaker and teen sensation Franco Mastantuono from River Plate on a six-year deal.
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And the Scottish FA is “always scanning to see [which managers] are available”, according to its chief suit Ian Maxwell. Current head coach Steve Clarke’s contract expires at the end of June 2026 and Scotland aren’t going to manage themselves, you know.
STILL WANT MORE?
Thomas Frank is a traditionally slow starter so will need time to turn around Tottenham Hotspur or Spurs. But will he get that time? Jonathan Wilson wonders aloud. While John Brewin looks at what’s in Frank’s Tottenham in-tray.
Former Spurs stopper Hugo Lloris is thriving across the pond with LAFC and will relish the chance to upset Chelsea in their upcoming Copa Gianni tussle, writes Joseph D’Hippolito.
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But in yet another Copa Gianni blow, there are fears that extreme heat during the tournament could pose a danger to fans and players, reports Paul MacInnes.
Trent Alexander-Arnold hit all the right notes in his Madrid unveiling, notes Sid Lowe. “I think it surprised a lot of people,” tooted ‘Trent’ of his fluent Spanish.
Palmeiras’s billionaire president Leila Pereira gets her chat on with Caio Carrieri about being the only female chief suit at the 32-team Copa Gianni.
And Alejandro Garnacho to Aston Villa? Bryan Mbeumo to join Frank at Spurs? The Rumour Mill delves into the latest dose of transfer dreck.
MEMORY LANE
November 1999 and Paul Merson is lining up a free-kick for Aston Villa Reserves during their match at Loughborough University. The students remarkably led 2-0 at half-time against a team containing the £18m trio of Merson, Stan Collymore and Mark Draper, before being hauled back to draw 2-2. “Hey Dazz,” someone shouted to the Loughborough coach, “Doug Ellis will be calling you next.”
YEARNING FOR RESERVES FOOTBALL
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