World Cup ends in farcical scenes – so should we bid for Brighton’s CEO to replace Infantino?

From the moment FIFA ‘awarded’ the tournament to the USA, Mexico and Canada the world footballing community probably knew that things would be slightly ‘left-field’ – but that doesn’t scratch the surface.

Like the Little Girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead, when this World Cup was good, it was very very good but when it was bad it was horrid!

In the end it came down to what we were promised was going to be a showpiece final, with – if FIFA had what felt like their wish – the coronation of Lionel Messi as the greatest player of all time, retaining the World Cup at the age of 39.

What we actually got was one of the worst finals in living memory, with all the toxicity and venom of two XL Bullies having an arranged dog fight round the back of a pub on a housing estate.

I say two XLs, but that’s not fair – all credit to Spain, they played well, but you need two sides to make a decent game and the telling stat on 90 minutes that Argentina, the defending world champions, hadn’t had a single shot on goal told us all we needed to know.

Perhaps a slight tangent, but England should have been there – had it not been for the 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-final, when Thomas Tuchel exercised the worst tactical decisions seen in a very long time. But would England have given Spain a better game? Without a doubt, but realistically, as patriotic as I am, there would still have only been one winner, Spain, and, with England’s inconsistent defending, possibly by a significant margin.

But it wasn’t to be, and maybe we should have got an inkling of what was to follow on Sunday night with all the pre-match shenanigans, Robbie Williams looking like Liberace’s love child (unlikely I know) and then Tom Cruise! What was all that about?

Nothing to do with his new film coming out, I am sure…

But if that was bad, worse was to follow, with the half time ‘show’. First and foremost, who at FIFA sanctioned the extending of the traditional half-time break in order to appease the American TV networks? Let me guess.

For years we thought Sepp Blatter was the figurehead we needed to get rid of, but replacing him with Gianni Infantino was like substituting Del Boy Trotter for Al Capone!

As for the half-time show itself, Madonna looked liked Lily Savage’s little sister and sounded like two cats being dragged down the American freeway. Then more credible artists, clearly being very well paid, but more akin to the 2p Monkey Band at the end of Worthing Pier.

No-one could have put it any better than England football legend Wayne Rooney, who live on the Beeb described it as ‘crap’ and said the best bit was when it finished.

As for the game, Argentina, fresh from offending an entire nation with their Malvinas Banner on Wednesday (still no fine from FIFA), played almost the entire 120 minutes in the style of anti football.

Sitting watching in my local in Spain my big concern was that as they game went on goalless, Lady Luck would smile on Argentina and they’d nick an undeserved winner, and FIFA’s dream would be realised.

Thankfully they didn’t – and like a classic Marvel film, good triumphed over evil, but not before we saw disgusting scenes at the end of the game, with Messi’s team, for that it was they are, in the main behaving like thugs.

The ‘icing’ on the cake was the outgoing world champions turning their backs on their conquerors as Spain received the trophy – the ultimate disrespect, and a disgusting example to every kid who kicks a football anywhere on the planet.

They won’t be, but with TV and social media footage of all the post-match incidents going right across the world, Argentina should be fined and banned from the next World Cup.

They are of course one of 6 ‘host’ countries to celebrate 100 years of the competition in 2030, and have been told they, along with Uruguay, Paraguay,Spain, Portugal and Morocco, qualify automatically. Banning them would be one hell of a FIFA u-turn.

In the end it was a great night for Spain, but sadly also an evening where football almost lost its soul.

I say almost, because there is a way back, prior to the tournament it was almost taken as read that Infantino would be re-elected as FIFA president unopposed, now there is a real groundswell of opinion, ironically in Europe, Infantino’s home continent, that a credible candidate must be found to not only stand against him but win and get world football back on course.

The Germans have already indicated they have someone, but I also think the FA should think long and hard about putting up a candidate.

And this where is gets interesting but I almost have to be a bit cautious how I pitch it.

I’m of the belief, that there is a perfect candidate locally, someone who has worked in football administration and governance for almost all of his working life.

He has extensive knowledge of not only the inner workings of the FA, but also the Premier League and the wider football community. he is one of the most revered and respected CEOs in the modern game.

Don’t worry about fancy titles, the FIFA president is effectively the CEO of the game right across the planet, and as things stand now in Brighton’s Paul Barber, English football has a credible candidate who could turn things around before others take the game down a one-way street they can’t get back up.