As the football season draws to a close, football fans might expect a summer break. But with the World Cup starting in just 12 days, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches over nearly six weeks, there will be no respite. The tournament, hosted by the United States, has been criticised as a greedy cash grab by FIFA, expected to rake in an estimated £8 billion from media rights, sponsorships, and tickets.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has faced backlash for his association with Donald Trump, whom he awarded a peace prize. Critics argue the World Cup is a sportswashing exercise for both FIFA and the MAGA movement. Ticket and hotel prices are prohibitively high, and many fans are choosing to stay away, with hotels reporting empty rooms.
The tournament is seen as a warning to Premier League fans, with over half of clubs now owned by American investors. The author hopes the event will be a disaster, with empty stadiums, flat football, and early elimination for the US, potentially leading to Trump dismissing soccer as a 'sport for losers'.
