In the build-up to Friday’s World Cup draw here, one feeling pervades that has repeated on me often over the last two years: it’s easy to forget that there are two other countries hosting this tournament.
Canada and Mexico are only hosting 26 matches in 21 days, after all. Barely even worth thinking about.
Still, at least we will learn which countries will play who and (after some more Fifa deliberation) where and when. Sometimes in all this politicking fog it’s easy to forget that it’s football at all. Sport as an afterthought to geopolitical self-gratification – nice catchphrase, but probably too long for a scarf.
Three days before the draw in Washington, President Trump said in this city that Somalia “stinks and we don’t want them in our country”, so it’s probably worth crossing them off the welcome spreadsheet.
Haiti and Iran have both qualified for this tournament and the two countries remain on Trump’s banned list. “Welcome to all (terms and conditions may apply).”
Increasingly, what you are told and what you hear from both sides of this World Cup hype parade are two disparate concepts. One suspects Infantino would prefer Trump to turn down the most explicit of the unapologetic bigotry, but we’re in too deep now.
The World Cup has been dogged by the controversies of host power and their strongarm leaders before, of course. In Russia, where Vladimir Putin promoted a non-isolationist, non-aggressive image of a country that subsequently invaded its neighbour.
It absolutely pisses me off that he is president for the 250th, World Cup, *and* Olympics. Dammit, really?
It’s FIFA. It’s already completely corrupt.
So basically, if you are not a white male you are fucked.
Whatever cant afford to go anyways.
He’s going to steal the trophy, again.
At this rate, they’ll be extremely lucky if half the players aren’t arrested by ICE immediately when their planes land, or Hegseth doesn’t launch missile strikes at “narco-terrorists” he claims are in the audience.
I sure wouldn’t come to America if I were a foreigner right now.
Canada and Mexico are also hosting? Trump will always monopolize the attention and credit. However, if anything goes wrong, I’m sure we’ll suddenly hear it’s all Canada and Mexico’s fault.
Do I remember correctly that, a few months ago, a Little League World Series team from somewhere in South America was banned from entering, and they were replaced by the second-place team?
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. A lot of international football fans will be coming from nations that either Trump doesn’t like or they’re just the wrong colour or religion. The “type” of people currently being targeted at US borders.
I sure wouldn’t spend hundreds (thousands?) on tickets, plane fares and hotels when there’s a chance I could be denied entry or even just detained for hours – even if you’re eventually admitted, that alone is enough to miss a connecting flight or lose your hotel booking or miss the game and ruin your vacation.
International visitors to North America would be much smarter to book games in Canada or Mexico if they want to see the World Cup.
Literally everything the man touches turns to shit. Everything. Of course it will be terrible.
He doesn’t understand the game, know where the countries are that are playing, or how important international football (soccer, sorry) is to many people. The good thing is that Trump will have his choice of stadiums to visit so he can be booed and jeered. Come to America – see some great football AND yell at our idiot in charge.
Like Midas, except everything the man touches turns to shit.
I dunno, the world cup is all about corruption, and if there’s someone that understand corruption, it’s Trump
First World Cup in my lifetime that I’ll boycott.
Nobody from outside the US should attend ANY World Cup game in the US. Do NOT travel to the US. It is not safe.
Already ruined by the final match not happening at the Estadio Azteca, one of the very few super important soccer places outside of Europe.
This title is too long. You need to remove the last word
Honestly, this is well deserved and necessary. America needs to be embarrassed on the world stage by his own hand
You could have stopped at world.
Name one thing he has not ruined
The last World Cup was in Qatar and there’s going to be a near future worldcup in Saudi Arabia. I’d argue that Donald Trump is on par with fifa and the World Cup in terms of corruption and ruining good things. I wouldn’t expect anything less.
The sentence was correct at “World”
Feels weirdly reminiscent of the 1936 Olympics…
Doesn’t corrupt FIFA and wannabe dictators like go hand to hand?
25 comments
Well, he’s ruined everything else so why not?
In the build-up to Friday’s World Cup draw here, one feeling pervades that has repeated on me often over the last two years: it’s easy to forget that there are two other countries hosting this tournament.
Canada and Mexico are only hosting 26 matches in 21 days, after all. Barely even worth thinking about.
This is the USA’s parade and this is [Donald Trump’s show](https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/donald-trump-sportswashing-experts-3823226?ico=in-line_link) because football has allowed it to be so. The draw will take place 140 miles from the nearest host city and 1.01 miles from the White House. That symbolism punches you square in the jaw.
Still, at least we will learn which countries will play who and (after some more Fifa deliberation) where and when. Sometimes in all this politicking fog it’s easy to forget that it’s football at all. Sport as an afterthought to geopolitical self-gratification – nice catchphrase, but probably too long for a scarf.
This should trouble us all. In August, Fifa president [Gianni Infantino](https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/ignore-dictators-club-world-cup-3734090?ico=in-line_link) insisted that next summer will be a glorious melting pot of different peoples treated well, speaking out against “misconception” and reinforcing that “everyone will be welcome”.
Three days before the draw in Washington, President Trump said in this city that Somalia “stinks and we don’t want them in our country”, so it’s probably worth crossing them off the welcome spreadsheet.
Haiti and Iran have both qualified for this tournament and the two countries remain on Trump’s banned list. “Welcome to all (terms and conditions may apply).”
Increasingly, what you are told and what you hear from both sides of this World Cup hype parade are two disparate concepts. One suspects Infantino would prefer Trump to turn down the most explicit of the unapologetic bigotry, but we’re in too deep now.
The World Cup has been dogged by the controversies of host power and their strongarm leaders before, of course. In Russia, where Vladimir Putin promoted a non-isolationist, non-aggressive image of a country that subsequently invaded its neighbour.
[In Qatar](https://inews.co.uk/news/world-cup-fifa-boss-accuses-west-hypocrisy-feel-qatari-like-migrant-worker-gay-1982837?ico=in-line_link), where a state supercharged its attempt to diversify from oil and gas and distract from its questionable human rights record. In Argentina in 1978, where General Videla used the tournament as a high-end propaganda mission.
It absolutely pisses me off that he is president for the 250th, World Cup, *and* Olympics. Dammit, really?
It’s FIFA. It’s already completely corrupt.
So basically, if you are not a white male you are fucked.
Whatever cant afford to go anyways.
He’s going to steal the trophy, again.
At this rate, they’ll be extremely lucky if half the players aren’t arrested by ICE immediately when their planes land, or Hegseth doesn’t launch missile strikes at “narco-terrorists” he claims are in the audience.
I sure wouldn’t come to America if I were a foreigner right now.
Canada and Mexico are also hosting? Trump will always monopolize the attention and credit. However, if anything goes wrong, I’m sure we’ll suddenly hear it’s all Canada and Mexico’s fault.
Do I remember correctly that, a few months ago, a Little League World Series team from somewhere in South America was banned from entering, and they were replaced by the second-place team?
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. A lot of international football fans will be coming from nations that either Trump doesn’t like or they’re just the wrong colour or religion. The “type” of people currently being targeted at US borders.
I sure wouldn’t spend hundreds (thousands?) on tickets, plane fares and hotels when there’s a chance I could be denied entry or even just detained for hours – even if you’re eventually admitted, that alone is enough to miss a connecting flight or lose your hotel booking or miss the game and ruin your vacation.
International visitors to North America would be much smarter to book games in Canada or Mexico if they want to see the World Cup.
Literally everything the man touches turns to shit. Everything. Of course it will be terrible.
He doesn’t understand the game, know where the countries are that are playing, or how important international football (soccer, sorry) is to many people. The good thing is that Trump will have his choice of stadiums to visit so he can be booed and jeered. Come to America – see some great football AND yell at our idiot in charge.
Like Midas, except everything the man touches turns to shit.
I dunno, the world cup is all about corruption, and if there’s someone that understand corruption, it’s Trump
First World Cup in my lifetime that I’ll boycott.
Nobody from outside the US should attend ANY World Cup game in the US. Do NOT travel to the US. It is not safe.
Already ruined by the final match not happening at the Estadio Azteca, one of the very few super important soccer places outside of Europe.
This title is too long. You need to remove the last word
Honestly, this is well deserved and necessary. America needs to be embarrassed on the world stage by his own hand
You could have stopped at world.
Name one thing he has not ruined
The last World Cup was in Qatar and there’s going to be a near future worldcup in Saudi Arabia. I’d argue that Donald Trump is on par with fifa and the World Cup in terms of corruption and ruining good things. I wouldn’t expect anything less.
The sentence was correct at “World”
Feels weirdly reminiscent of the 1936 Olympics…
Doesn’t corrupt FIFA and wannabe dictators like go hand to hand?
Comments are closed.