Europe just quit the World Cup. UEFA and all 55 of its national associations announced they will not participate in FIFA competitions. No France, no England, no Spain, no Germany in the biggest tournament on earth.
The trigger is wild. Infantino wants to sell a piece of the World Cup to private investors for $4.2 billion. And each of the 211 national associations gets $20 million for voting yes.
211 times $20 million is $4.2 billion. The entire raise equals the approval payments. The investors would be funding the yes votes on their own acquisition.
Infantino thought the voting math made him unbeatable. FIFA runs on one country, one vote, so San Marino counts the same as Germany, and $86 million per federation through 2038 is transformative for small associations that have never qualified for a World Cup. He needs 106 of 211 votes, and he was buying them at retail.
UEFA just found the counter. Europe can't win the vote, so it's destroying the asset instead. European teams have won 12 of the 22 World Cups ever played. European broadcast money anchors the rights being sold. A World Cup without Europe is worth a fraction of the price, and every investor Kushner and JP Morgan are courting knows it by now.
The F1 comparison everyone's making misses the difference. Greg Maffei, who ran Liberty Media's Formula 1 takeover, is structuring this deal, but F1 privatization worked because the teams had nowhere else to race. UEFA already runs the Champions League and the Euros. Europe can exist without FIFA. FIFA cannot exist without Europe.
The vote is September 19. Infantino has the votes. UEFA has the teams. Only one of those makes a World Cup worth watching.
Hedy Lamarr, the Hollywood actress who pioneered the technology that would one day form the basis for today’s WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems - a thread 🧵
The single most powerful habit for personal growth:
Journaling.
Over the past 5 years, I've journaled every single morning—and along the way, I've:
• Answered over 1,000 questions
• Tested every app, pen, & notebook
But I always return to a pen, paper, and these 5 prompts:
@santikasatya Now everyone would love to invite you as keynote speaker even more than ever. A workshop titled “Unconventional E(mo)nergy” will attract lots audience for sure! 😜
@santikasatya Always loved how you able to take away silver linings from any circumstances, as well as the incremental values within those takeouts. Truly wishing and looking forward to new learnings, growth, & achievements for you in upcoming years. Keep inspiring! ❤️
Hello #geologists! What could have caused this radial pattern in this gritstone? It’s mirrored on the rock face opposite... I’ve heard it could be evidence for an earthquake? 🤔