There was bemused bafflement when FIFA president Gianni Infantino stepped onto the stage at the Global Citizen Music Festival in Central Park at the end of September. After all, 60,000 people in a field were waiting to see Post Malone. What was this business-suited global soccer executive doing at a music event that was dedicated to climate change awareness?
Infantino's appearance was brief, and he spent exactly 84 seconds of it - alongside a seemingly confused DJ Khaled - announcing the venues for the 2025 Club World Cup - 11 cities, 12 stadiums, 32 teams, one month of soccer, all in the United States.
It was a strange venue to reveal this thing, among a field full of drunk partygoers in New York City. But maybe that's the point.
Those who already know about soccer, and its impact and zealous following around the world, are going to get all of this information organically. Part of the strategy of this Club World Cup, and the country that hosts it, is about spreading awareness. America is the next frontier, the unsaturated soccer market, in relative terms.
And that's the broader point. The Club World Cup has, and will continue to have, its critics in some circles. But now the draw is complete. And in the global landscape of soccer, with the interest of the growth of the game - and make no mistake, the financial opportunities that come with that - at the forefront, it is the kind of event that Americans should absolutely care about.