As I sit on my sofa waiting for the World Cup opener between Mexico and South Africa, I find myself thinking back to 1978.
I was in high school then. Coverage was limited, and most games were little more than highlights on television. Still, my friends and I followed the tournament closely. Many of them came from Italian families, like me, so naturally we were fans of Italy. For one month every four years, the world seemed a little smaller.
Almost fifty years later, the World Cup is bigger than ever with 48 teams for the first time ever, up from 32 from the last tournament. There are billions of viewers today with the games being cover in just about every country in the world. FIFA likes to call it the world’s game.
Yet as this tournament begins, I am left wondering whether the world is still welcome.
Africa’s best referee, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who would have been the first ever referee from Somalia to make it to the big stage, was denied entry into the United States despite the fact that he had a visa to enter, along with FIFA credentials. The FIFA President’s response was ‘unfortunate,’ then told the fans that they should, ‘chill and relax.’
The Iranian national team, who have qualified for the tournament and will have all of their group games in the USA, are not allowed to stay in the country but must travel from Mexico, play their game and scurry back across the southern border.
Ironically, they are forced to play in a country that is currently bombing their home land. With Mexico and Canada also hosting, surely their games could have been changed to take place in a friendlier, welcoming country. And although their players are allowed to enter the country, their fans are not. The Iranian FA also confirmed that days before the first ball was to be kicked, FIFA revoked the country’s ticket allocation.
There are actually four countries that have qualified to play in the tournament but their fans will most likely not be able to attend due to barriers regarding visas and travel restrictions. Talk about bringing the world together, Mister Infantino.
Perhaps fans not being allowed in doesn’t matter because quite honestly, how many fans can afford the crazy prices that FIFA is asking for tickets? FIFA has decided to fully embrace dynamic pricing, where ticket prices will rise and fall based on demand, making fans more of revenue sources than participants in the tournament.
Mexico is up by two goals and South Africa is down two players as the clock runs out in Mexico City. The night belongs to Mexico and although the World Cup belongs to the world, that is at the discretion of the United States government and FIFA.
