Perhaps FIFA will not go down in history as the most ethical institution of the 21st century. But perhaps as the most successful. After dazzling Donald Trump in December with the ghostly FIFA Peace Prize, FIFA is now embedding Chinese Artificial Intelligence (AI) deep into the marrow of the US. The reason is that the World Cup starting on Thursday will be the first in history where AI will manage logistics, assist in VAR, scan tickets, and collect players' biometric data, all while connecting with the telecommunications networks of security agencies, police, and logistical centers in the US. These services are provided by the Chinese giant Lenovo, whose ownership structure is like a Russian matryoshka doll, where within each figure there is a smaller one, until reaching Legend Holdings, a company historically linked to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an extension of the Communist Party of that country.
Meta eats Google's cake while the press fasts
Dear reader: the next time you feel great and feel like pontificating about "the power of the media and how they manipulate us," remember this: according to the British advertising giant WPP, the global advertising market in all its forms reached $1.08 trillion in 2025. Of that amount, the consultancy PwC estimates that $41 billion went to print media (including magazines). That is 4.4%. And declining. In fact, the sector is controlled by two giants that you probably use joyfully: Alphabet (Google, YouTube) and Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp). Although Alphabet has dominated the market for two decades, WPP believes that in 2026 Meta will surpass it, with an advertising revenue of $243.46 billion, just $3.92 billion more than its rival, which, by the way, is almost a month's worth of revenue for all print media on Earth.
China relaxes social control so people can spend
In China, there are around 70 million children living in rural areas while their parents work in cities in low-skilled jobs, such as construction workers or domestic workers. This is the consequence of the hukou system, which restricts a person to only receive State services in their place or province of birth, such as medical insurance, unemployment benefits, maternity leave, education, or pension rights. Around 350 million Chinese citizens work in cities in this situation, which may now be starting to change because the Beijing government has approved the relaxation of the hukou system. In theory, if people can access a social safety net in the city where they reside, they will have more economic security and will spend and invest more. Giving up social control is anathema to the Chinese Communist Party, but the unstoppable economic slowdown leaves no choice.
Is there enough debt in the world for so much AI?
Alphabet, Google's parent company, is worth over ¤3.7 trillion. Its cash flow in the last 12 months was around ¤150 billion (more than Disney's market value). And its liquidity is ¤109 billion (similar to BBVA's). However, this balance sheet is not enough to finance its investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI), which are estimated to be around ¤160 billion this year (similar to Inditex's revenue). Therefore, Alphabet has had to act like a small business: issue new shares to continue growing. The company is set to issue ¤69 billion in shares, in the largest stock offering in Wall Street's history, quadrupling the next largest, which was the IPO of the giant Saudi Aramco. But if Alphabet - which, depending on the day, is the second or third most valuable company in the world - needs to raise capital to finance its AI, how will other companies invest in this technology? Or are we facing the mother of all bubbles?
USA scores an economic own goal in the World Cup
A commonly accepted concept is that insulting people in general tends to make them visit you less. Inexplicably, the USA has not grasped this, and now finds that the economic impact of the World Cup starting on Thursday will be irrelevant. Not because hotel occupancy has not reached expected levels, but because in host cities like Seattle, it is 7% lower than a year ago. In contrast, in the other host countries, Canada and Mexico, hotels are not only fuller but have also been able to raise their rates. According to the British consultancy Oxford Economics, the World Cup will not have an impact on the economies of US cities hosting matches, not only due to the absence of tourists but also because there have been no infrastructure projects related to the tournament. The only winner of this World Cup seems to be Lenovo (see another news on this page).
Pacifist professors at a university founded by a marshal
When Henry Kissinger (who had a PhD in History) was asked "why academic discussions are so sublime," he responded with his unique cynicism: "Because what is at stake is so low." The professors at the prestigious public university King's College in London are following this maxim by rebelling against the absorption by the academic institution, Cranfield University, which has close ties to the British Armed Forces. The teachers have expressed their discontent over the integration of what they say is "an institution with very close ties to the military and defense industry," although their memory is rather selective, especially considering that King's College was founded by the Duke (and also Marshal) of Wellington, who helped Spain in the war against the French, defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, and was involved in various military feats of the British Empire in Asia.