FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s name has been engraved on the new Club World Cup trophy.
The revamped Club World Cup, a 32-team tournament, is taking place in the United States next summer. A gold-plated trophy, which was designed by FIFA and crafted by Tiffany & Co, was unveiled on Thursday, and the 54-year-old’s name appears twice.
One of the inscriptions reads “founding president, Gianni Infantino”, followed by his signature.
Another passage that mentions Infantino reads: “We are witness to a new age. The golden era of club football: the era of the FIFA Club World Cup. The pinnacle of all club competitions. Inspired by the FIFA president Gianni Infantino.”
Although Infantino did not design the trophy, he would have had to approve it.
“The trophy had to be innovative, inclusive, ground-breaking and truly global, as this competition is,” the FIFA president said in a statement when the gold-plated trophy was unveiled.
“The FIFA Club World Cup trophy — a remarkable equivalent to our iconic FIFA World Cup — is a revolutionary symbol of a bright, new future for club football, inspired by the most.”
Infantino’s name and signature being engraved on the trophy is one step short of Jules Rimet, the FIFA president who created the World Cup in 1930, who had the whole trophy named after him.
The Club World Cup will feature Chelsea and Manchester City from England, and Inter Miami from the U.S., along with 29 other teams from the six federations.
Only one spot is left and it will be determined by the winner — Atletico Mineiro or Botafogo — of the Copa Libertadores final on November 30.
Demand for the Club World Cup is yet to take off and, in September, Infantino had to call an emergency briefing with global television executives as he attempted to drum up interest.
The tournament will take place across 12 venues in 11 host cities in the U.S. between June 15 and July 13, 2025.
Teams will be seeded into pots and the draw will take place on December 5.
(Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images)
