Fasten your seatbelts because Gianni Infantino is at it again

With a minimum of 25 matches still to be played before the 2024 winners of the biggest prize in American men’s soccerball are identified, Sunday’s announcement that Inter Miami will be handed the “host nation” spot that is up for grabs at next summer’s all-singing, all-dancing and newly bloated Fifa Club World Cup came as something of a surprise. At least it did until it became apparent that it was a decision made by the tournament organisers. We implore you to fasten your seatbelts, reader, because Gianni Infantino is at it again. While the shiny-domed Fifa chief is invariably up to something when it comes to commercial opportunism and the cause of personal advancement, his declaration that Miami had “qualified” for the tournament via a process for which there were no obvious criteria beyond having Lionel Messi in their squad seemed a little cheeky, even by his snakebelly-low standards.

Conveniently, Infantino happened to be in Fort Lauderdale over the weekend to see Inter Miami receive the MLS Supporters Shield, a trophy that is awarded annually to the best team across the “regular season” but is a largely meaningless bauble because there are still so many playoff games to get through before the MLS Cup is won. While they may very well go on to claim it, for now Inter Miami are nothing more than the best team in the Eastern Conference, but will still take their country’s allocated spot at the Club World Cup even if they don’t go on to be crowned champions of the entire USA USA USA.

Like many commercially beneficial decisions Fifa is in the habit of plucking out of the hive backside, this one has been greeted with a fair degree of cynicism due in no small part to the presence on the Miami roster of Messi, whose participation next summer will inevitably be good for business. While few football fans would dispute that the Argentinian maestro’s presence at any tournament is to be celebrated, not since the late Queen Elizabeth II leapt out of a helicopter with James Bond at the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony has anyone been parachuted into a major sporting event with such naked cynicism.

“Congratulations on your wonderful 2024 Supporters’ Shield success,” whooped Infantino to Miami’s players and fans as he hijacked their trophy-lift. “You have shown that in the United States, you are consistently the best club on the field of play. Therefore, I am proud to announce that as one of the best clubs in the world, you are deserved participants in the new Fifa Club World Cup 2025 as the host club representing the United States.” Due to kick off next June then, the inaugural Fifa Bigger Club World Cup will feature 31 of the best sides in the world … and Inter Miami.

Join Michael Butler from 8pm BST for hot Premier League minute-by-minute coverage of Nottingham Forest 2-2 Crystal Palace.

“The UK Saudi ambassador spoke to the Crown Prince this morning” – ah yes, it’s one of the leaked WhatsApp messages from former Newcastle United minority co-owner Amanda Staveley suggesting that Saudi overlord Mohammed bin Salman was heavily involved in the takeover of the club after all.

Quoted before Saturday’s game against Brentford, Erik ten Hag said of Manchester United fans: ‘We are on the same page and in the same boat.’ Presumably that’s the Titanic and, in the meantime, Erik can rearrange the deck chairs so at least some of those fans can avoid the water cascading down from the Old Trafford roof” – Adrian Irving.

Aston Villa having their best start to a season after eight games in 26 years, or ‘not since the 20th century’ as Big Website puts it, sounds an awful lot better than Aston Villa having made their best start to a season since John Gregory was in charge (and said he would have shot Dwight Yorke if he’d had a gun), Julian Joachim was top scorer, Villa won nothing and even finished outside the European places. It depends on the way you look at it and all that” – Noble Francis.

Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Noble Francis, who lands a Football Weekly scarf. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here.

Goal of the weekend? Heracles’ Mario Engels coolly scoring from inside his own half against Ajax in the Eredivisie is definitely up there.

Looking for a book? Take a gander around Big Website’s bookshop where you’ll find the latest from David Squires and Adam Hurrey, plus Oleksandr Zinchenko’s autobiography, Believe.

Saturday 10.41am: “Taking in the sights” – Watford’s Social Media Abomination TwiXer account posts a video from outside bitter rivals Luton’s Kenilworth Road before their Championship meeting.

Saturday 2.28pm: “Full-time. 3-0” – the account marks their comprehensive defeat to the Hatters, meaning it’s now 18 years and counting since the Hornets won there. “We have to take the criticism,” lamented boss and former brand Tom Cleverley. “They have the bragging rights and that hurts. If we throw in a performance like that, we have to take it on the chin. It’s our local rivals and we have to apologise for our performance.”

More than 100 professional female players have signed a letter calling on Fifa to end its sponsorship deal with the state-owned Saudi Arabian oil company, Aramco, accusing the regime of “brutal human rights violations”.

Uefa’s communication with disabled supporters has been widely described as “non-existent” in a survey that paints a damning picture of accessibility for fans watching their clubs on European away trips.

West Ham are happy to give Julen Loptegui more time despite a 4-1 gubbing at Spurs leaving them 15th in the table.

Wolves manager Gary O’Neil has questioned whether officials have a subconscious bias in favour of the “big guy” after Manchester City clinched a controversial stoppage-time 2-1 win at Molineux. “I’ve spoken to them about this and they guarantee me there isn’t, but they are human,” he sighed.

The long-winded route towards a new deal for Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool continues. “I can say discussions are ongoing, but I don’t know what happens in the future,” he publicly negotiated.

Not only are Montpellier bottom of Ligue 1, but they’re also looking for a new manager after telling Michel Der Zakarian to do one. “He is no longer the coach of the first team,” sniffed club president Laurent Nicollin after a 5-0 shoeing at home against Marseille. “Given the performance and the attitudes of this evening, I felt obliged to intervene.”

Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal all recorded wins in the WSL on Sunday to take advantage of Manchester United dropping points at Brighton.

Rangers fans are a less-than-chuffed bunch, the 1-0 defeat at Kilmarnock leaving them six points adrift of Scottish Premiership pacesetters Celtic and Aberdeen, who shared the points in an entertaining 2-2 draw. “I don’t want excuses about pitches, winds, whatever,” fumed manager Philippe Clement. “We need to focus on ourselves … and to play better than we did today.”

Hull boss Tim Walter says that ref Bobby Madley apologised to him for his inadvertent role in Sunderland’s winner that helped the Black Cats return to the top of the Championship. “It’s like a never-ending story. Unfortunately it’s always us,” parped Walter. “But every gaffer has the same opinion about the situations that they’re always more negatively influenced.”

And Mainz supporters have called out former manager Jürgen Klopp for his decision to join the sticky liquid drink company Red Bull and oversee its network of clubs. “Have you forgotten everything we gave you?” asked one huge banner during the home defeat to Leipzig, referring to Klopp’s tearful farewell speech when he left the club after 18 years as a player and coach in 2008. “Are you crazy?” proclaimed another.

Premier League x 10 weekend TPs (featuring Danny Welbeck).

Ever wondered how the proverbial sausage is made when it comes to Premier League clubs hiring elite managers? Will Unwin has the answer.

Things are looking rough for Gary O’Neil at Wolves. Jonathan Liew bears witness to their decline.

By contrast, Liverpool are flying high at the summit of the Premier League. Top marks for the way they shut out the noise against Chelsea.

Refereeing conspiracy theories are nonsense but stem from valid fears, writes Jonathan Wilson.

Harry Kane, Vincent Kompany and Bayern are back in the Bundesliga groove after trusting in their process, reports Andy Brassell.

Mateo Retegui was a surprise signing for Atalanta but he’s leading a reshaped team as well as the Serie A scoring charts, as Nicky Bandini explains.

In France, as usual, there’s a rebellion brewing. Philippe Auclair has the lowdown on the discontent over the contentious Visit Qatar shirt deal, while Eric Devin checks in on the resurgent Lyon.

After another busy weekend in the WSL, here are the talking points.

And do take the time to read this by Chris Paouros.

April 1938: Championship contenders Arsenal visit Brentford and lose 3-0 – and, as the photo shows, Ted Drake, their star striker and leading scorer, is carried off by the trainer after being knocked unconscious. It was actually the second time he’d been helped off the pitch that day – he was subsequently revived and sent back on – and he also broke two bones in his wrist, reflecting his wholehearted and borderline pathological zest for the game. He did, though, spend time in hospital thereafter while, for his manager George Allison, necessity was the mother of invention: Eddie Carr, Drake’s replacement, scored five times as Arsenal won their three remaining matches to pip Wolves and claim their fifth league title in eight seasons.