FIFA’s newly-announced broadcast deal with streaming service DAZN represents a major plank in the development of next year’s Club World Cup, but their decision to crowbar Inter Miami into the tournament has provided yet more ammunition for those sceptical of its overhaul.

Already facing legal action from two unions – European Leagues and FIFPRO – over an alleged ‘abuse of power’ in cramming more football into an already-packed calendar, FIFA’s decision to select its own ‘host’ club at the expense of sporting merit has been construed by their detractors as just another attempt to play god.

In an ideal world, the maiden 32-team Club World Cup would of course feature Lionel Messi on the pitch, in all advertising material, and in all probability, lifting the trophy at its conclusion. And that will be given a chance; Gianni Infantino announcing Messi & co. have qualified as MLS Supporters’ Shield winners only after they’d failed to win the MLS Championship, the latter notionally the higher honour in US soccer.

‘You can understand why they want to have Messi in the tournament, but the issue is why they didn’t announce the criteria for that host nation place before awarding it. If you don’t, you open yourself up to suspicions you’re trying to fix it’, The Times’ Martyn Ziegler told Box2Box.

‘They could have said, six months prior, that ‘we’re going to give it to whichever MLS club wins the Fans’ Shield’, for example. But they didn’t, and as soon as Inter Miami had won that, they made the announcement.

‘They didn’t give it to the MLS Champions because that was only decided last weekend, won by LA Galaxy. So, they don’t make the Club World Cup, but Inter Miami do. The MLS aren’t jumping up and down about it because they don’t think it will help them long-term, but it does seem strange from afar.’

The broadcast deal with DAZN, although allowing FIFA to celebrate a $1billion (US) figure, still has plenty to play out before being deemed a success. Normally a paid-subscription service with roots in boxing and martial arts, the tournament will be available via the service free-to-air around the world.

‘DAZN has footprints in some countries greater than others. In Italy it has the domestic rights to the Serie A, but in the UK it was very low-profile, until it started showing Saudi-related boxing matches. But still, lots of people won’t be aware of what it actually is’, said Ziegler.

‘Apple talked about [a deal], but a lot of that was based on revenue sharing without guaranteed money for FIFA; dependent on viewership numbers, advertising, etc. For FIFA, DAZN will provide guaranteed money, but whether it provides [significant] viewership numbers is definitely a risk, because it doesn’t have the profile of other broadcasters [such as] Netflix, Amazon, or Apple.

‘I imagine sponsors would like to see DAZN sub-license the rights to regional TV stations, which the deal does allow them. I think it was the only avenue left for FIFA in order to get that sort of money, the billion dollars, as no one else was keen to go there.’

The tournament’s success, or otherwise, will stand as a major factor in Infantino’s legacy at FIFA. The president’s bold promises of growth have been met by opposition at every corner in the pursuit of the Club tournament, while FIFA remains in a broader tussle with UEFA over the general control of the sport.

‘When he was elected, he promised he was going to quadruple the income of national associations. He’s been desperately searching for ways to get more money, really big money for FIFA, and had talked about a biennial World Cup.

‘I think the only possibility of significant increase was this tournament, but it’s been a struggle. It’s difficult to create something from nothing, takes a long time to get into the consciousness, and I also think there’s so much football the competition for eyeballs and tension is intense.

‘Maybe if FIFA tried to have it in a European country next time that might give it more chance of greater attention, but there’s perhaps a reason they wouldn’t do that because they don’t want to give Europe any more power.’