Infantino the nowhere man as Fifa seems marginalised at its own World Cup

Fifa and Qatar always looked the perfect fit, the perfect master and client-state. In the event Qatar appears to have overwhelmed its enablers, seized the starship controls and confined the captain to his quarters

NOWHERE MAN: It is nine days since Infantino delivered his opening press conference speech, his Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock moment, his I Have a Really Horrendous And Deluded Dream. Pic: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Today I feel … largely invisible. Today I feel like a boggle-eyed despot-groupie. Today I feel like essence of human avarice distilled through a series of filters, poured into a dark suit and presented on stage looking like a discredited small-town mayor with a secret.

Today I feel like I really should, for the sake of world football, start to get a grip on this chaotic Fifa World Cup.