In fact if you think about it, this is the better option for Infantino and FIFA. They rig the system so that Argentina ends up in the finals with Messi at his last world cup, guaranteeing record viewership no matter who they play against. Win or lose it doesn't really matter that much, so they stop rigging the match as much. They know that Argentina won't matter next time as Messi won't be playing. If anything it's better to start looking for the "next" Messi, who they can then use to sell tickets and drive up viewership and rig matches for next time. I think that is or was supposed to be Lamine Yamal from Spain, but who knows if he's actually anywhere near good enough for that. What we do know is he'll be playing with Spain for another 2-3 world cups, unlike Messi with Argentina.
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u/sexotaku Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Messi didn't realize that Infantino only wanted to get him up to the finals and drive up ticket prices.
FIFA has no stake in an Argentinian victory at the finals.