The World Cup kicks off on Thursday evening, but sport's greatest show could be overshadowed by the political and social issues troubling organisers in the United States.
A Vanity Project for Trump?
The World Cup appears to be a vanity project for Donald Trump. It should and still could be the greatest show on turf—a feast of footballing superstars strutting their stuff on the biggest stage of all. But for the last dances of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and perhaps Harry Kane to be remembered as special ones, circumstances out of their control need to fall into line.
History is in the making, but we wait with bated breath to discover if it proves to be made for all the right reasons. The political landscape across North America and beyond has created a tangible sense of anxiety.
There is nothing Donald Trump can do about searing temperatures across the States. Even he cannot control the weather. But what the controversial US president can help control is how the World Cup is managed, in terms of administration, organisation, and celebration. He can start with himself.
Don’t rock up at opening ceremonies and then games, making them all about you. Don’t hijack the world’s biggest sporting event—and exploit it as a chance for self-promotion. Trump knows little or nothing about football. So keep it that way.
Safety and Protests
The safety of all those taking part—players, managers, supporters, staff, and officials of numerous organisations—has to be assured. This should always be the priority. Iran’s involvement in a tournament taking place on soil belonging to a nation which declared war on them is bizarre. There could well be protests relating to the continued conflict, so let these remain peaceful ones.
FIFA's Failures
While the game is nothing without fans, FIFA, world football’s governing body, has a shameless way of ignoring the fact. Astronomical ticket prices prove this, not to mention the cost of travelling within North America for those hoping to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Good luck with that. Could FIFA break with tradition, please, and treat supporters like paying customers, instead of a security problem?
FIFA’s latest masterstroke is to ban supporters from taking reusable water bottles into stadiums. Scorching temperatures make hydration imperative, and now costly, given spectators will have to purchase bottles of water at extortionate prices.
Positive Changes
Where common sense has prevailed can be found in some of the new rule changes introduced for this tournament. Games need speeding up. Decisions need to be got right. Referees need more help to ensure matches and results lack controversies.
Because the football itself is what matters most. We want to see giant killings and upsets, albeit not involving England, of course. We want to see fairy tales made and sporting nightmares unfold. We want to see the likes of Messi and Ronaldo light up games one final time, new talents emerge, and unlikely heroes come to the fore.
It should be quite a production. But will it? Who knows, but let’s all buckle up and find out.
