Is football at breaking point and will players start going on strike? | Football [Video]

It is perhaps telling that the first name inscribed on the new Club World Cup trophy – before even the first winner – was FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Describing the new 32-team tournament as ‘the pinnacle of all club competitions’, the 24-carat gold trophy, crafted by Tiffany & Co, hailed the incumbent FIFA boss as the project’s inspiration and founding president. Barely a post goes out on Infantino’s social media accounts without his final approval and the wording on this trophy was no different.

But while the vanity of plastering one’s own name on a trophy may only rile up fans, it is the tournament itself that has caused FIFA a far worse headache.

Concerns over player workload have been bubbling under the surface for years and in many quarters, this expanded tournament has proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Players, who for so long have not been properly consulted about changes to the schedule, have had enough.

Manchester …