Less than a month after the final of the most profitable World Cup in history, generating around $15 billion in total revenue, the world of football has descended into open war. This is not the first time Infantino has sought to push the boundaries of commercial football. In 2018, a deal with Japanese firm SoftBank for an expanded Club World Cup and a global Nations League fell apart amid immediate backlash. The problem is this: The World Cup is not Infantino’s to sell. Football, as it is today, is the product of decades of investment, competition, and the participation of players and fans.