Maybe Infantino won’t be right, but he won

“World Dialogues” will accompany Qatar 2022 every day. A daily dialogue between football and humor between Fulvio Paglialunga and Giuseppe Pastore on the topics of the day, or perhaps not, of the first winter World Cup in history.

Joseph. Fulvio, we are on the penultimate day. Have you packed your suitcase yet? What memory did you want to take with you from the Duty Free of the first World Cup set in a non-place?

Fulvius. In the film “My friend Eric”, at one point Cantona tells his devoted postman that “the best goal was a pass”. I mention it because I am fond of that sentence, it embodies my way of looking at football. In the sense that there are beautiful goals, but I’m enchanted by the passes, the beautiful ones, the ones that give glory to others, but in reality it’s also glory for whoever gave the ball. So I have Messi’s assist to Julian Alvarez against Croatia and Mbappé’s assist to Kolo Muani against Morocco in my eyes. But perhaps, simpler, I remember the last few things because a lot of them have passed before my eyes. Suggest others, I like the thread you opened.

Joseph. Always following the same path, Ziyech’s assist for Aboukhlal’s 2-0 in Morocco-Belgium, one of the most beautiful actions of the World Cup. Or Casemiro who collects the ball from the net after scoring the penalty against Croatia and hands it to his friend Modric. And all the moments of surprise and unexpected joy with which the history of football has always been strewn. For example, I have a soft spot for commentary from foreign countries, especially those in Arabic where they always end up hysterically invoking Allah.

Fulvius. If you’re talking about commentary, I have to tell you that I’m spending part of my days on Victor Hugo Morales’ Twitter account (if someone doesn’t know it’s the one from the “Cosmic Barillete” they may not read on). On Argentina’s actions it is clear that he plays a part, but he also recites poetry. With the calm of those who are declaiming them, with the power of beautiful words. I spend hours hearing it, which is exactly how much time I don’t spend writing these dialogues. Then I’m not for sober commentary: they have to tell the game, but also an emotion. Whoever speaks into the microphone has an audience that follows him and that football doesn’t ask to be like a mass, but just something passionate.

Joseph. Nothing like the World Cup justifies certain slightly higher tones, completely appropriate to the actions that are taking place – and who knows on Sunday… But instead, I read that Fifa is relaunching the idea of ​​a 32-team Club World Cup, yet another echo -ball monster that will take place for the first time in 2025. Until a few weeks ago Infantino seemed close to collapsing under the weight of scandals and controversies, but now he seems more alive than ever.

Fulvius. We said it the other day, we have to repeat it even if it’s not exactly what we want to say: Infantino won. He made the World Cup play in a plastic country, with no respect for human rights and with a huge bloodstain for the migrants who died during the work, in winter, and technically it turned out to be one of the best editions, which made it possible to dispel the controversy. He won, I’m not saying he’s right. But he is proof of how football is an instrument of power, but also because the other side is weak, given that this World Cup was awarded in 2010 and therefore had to be opposed in time. I hope, however, that Fifa sooner or later returns to being ethical, if it has already been. And that the Club World Cup be thrown away immediately, because too many events make all events useless and because the appeal comes from history, as Qatar 2022 teaches, it is not created artificially. Translated: I wouldn’t give a damn about a club World Cup.

Joseph. So the 32-team Club World Cup will fit in with the 36-team UEFA Champions League and so on, in an eternal parade of dogs biting their tails without anything explosive actually happening to subvert the status quo: of course, there are a few more injuries, some increasingly accentuated muttering from the most riotous insiders, but the rest of the world and the confederations seem to be proceeding in the direction of FIFA. Infantino gave himself a big pat on the back today allowing himself, in the eyes of the Western world, to declare that the behavior of the players who demonstrate against civil rights violations must not disturb the fans in the stands. And you know what? That he thinks this way because he knows that most of the world thinks like him. In this he is a fairly sophisticated politician: the problem is all ours, that of us Europeans.

Fulvius. In fact, from his point of view everything is flawless, the problem is his point of view and also, as you say, the broader sharing of how we imagine that point of view has. But the problem is everyone being consistent, us too. For example: I am ready to bet that, after the World Cup, we will forget to talk about rights in Qatar, if a migrant dies at work we will shrug our shoulders. The victory is that the World Cup has at least allowed us to turn on a light and, perhaps, understand that the battle against Infantino and his way of thinking must always be fought, and – one last note – make headlines on the last press conference by putting him in his mouth very strong words, but that he didn’t say, that’s no way to counter it. In fact, he agrees with him.

Joseph. I really don’t think it will happen, but it’s nice to believe it. How wonderful it is to believe in coincidences as the Argentines do, also because another sensational one has been added: the referee of the final, the Polish Szymon Marciniak, was born on 7 January exactly like the Brazilian Arppi Filho, who directed the Argentina-Germany final 1986.

Fulvius. About Argentinians. We were happy with the last game at 8pm, which in short seems to me to be a more than human schedule and also left some of the evening free. Comfortable, fast even if you went to penalties, even if it was night in Qatar. In Argentina, on the other hand, the times were improbable and on busy days the premiere was at seven in the morning. Now they have the final at a fantastic time: in Buenos Aires it will be noon, bad for a Serie A lunch match, but not for a decisive match. Because hopefully you have a whole day to celebrate and who knows what they can do. You will say: Sure, but what if they lose? What does it matter, if you lose you don’t want to deal with the world at any time.

Joseph. In fact, if the World Cup in December is bad, go and tell the Argentines, who couldn’t wait… certainly Buenos Aires on the day of a World Cup final in Argentina is one of the 20 space-time coincidences that should never be missed in life. Do we still have time to catch a plane?

Fulvius. No, we don’t make it in time. But the Argentines are making us live a lot. If you have time, look at the wonderful commercials they created for the entire World Cup and especially for the final. There is one in which they show the cheers of the fans in every context: at school, in the hospital, at work, anywhere. They don’t fight on this, then football and its beauty, and its popular following make everything easier.

Joseph. How do we line up regarding the third place play-off? I think Morocco is much more interested than Croatia, also to seal an unforgettable World Cup for the entire Muslim world and the African continent with the podium finish. The reasons seem to me to be very unbalanced on one side, even if Luka Modric’s last match at the World Cup is a circumstance that should be honored in the best possible way. How about a nice 2-2 caciarone?

Fulvius. Oh my God, Modric’s last one at the World Cup. I swear I’m not ready, but let’s say that at least you will experience it on a catwalk without worries and with the Moroccan public who was the most beautiful in the World Cup to applaud him. The 2-2 leads to extra time, I wouldn’t extend such a useless game. But let’s say: many goals and Morocco wins, which at least gets another piece of history.

Joseph. Maybe, in the event of a tie after 120 minutes, they could play it not on penalties but on free kicks in homage to the most formidable fencer I’ve ever seen live, even more than Pirlo and Juninho. Sinisa Mihajlovic’s left foot will have the privilege of being remembered for eternity, always associated with a technical gesture. And in recent years the man has certainly not been outdone, for charisma, courage and desire not to go unnoticed. The rhetoric about the warrior and the fight is cloying and misleading, but he was certainly a gigantic example of dignity in facing the disease, without being annulled and annihilated.

Fulvius. Mihajlovic was a wonderful player, for his free-kicks, for his way of being on the pitch, for the courage he always had, even on the bench. It is no coincidence that he was loved wherever he went. In addition, precisely on the rhetoric of the struggle, he explained better than any words what disease is: I can’t think of anyone who can be called a warrior more than him, at this moment, but with disease you don’t fight, there is no ‘one is more of a warrior than the other. We cure ourselves against the disease. And sometimes that’s not enough. Sinisa (did you notice how many call him only by name?) He turned off the rhetoric, precisely, because it wasn’t his thing. Sickness is a bitch and that’s it.