It’s hard to find people who are massively looking forward to the World Cup — or the “MAGA World Cup”, as Dutch political scientist Cas Mudde calls it. The image of Fifa’s president Gianni Infantino handing Donald Trump the freshly invented Fifa Peace Prize — just before the recipient attacked Venezuela and Iran — is “a metaphor for the tournament’s problems”, says Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch. Trump aspires to join the ranks of Pelé, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi as a star of the World Cup. His country is chief host, staging 78 games including almost all the best ones, while Canada and Mexico have 13 each. I’ll be there, attending my 10th World Cup.
Fans are outraged at the thousands of dollars being asked even for tickets to humdrum games — though now, in a new worry, many tickets remain unsold and hotel rooms stand empty, prompting price collapses. NGOs fear that the US immigration police, ICE, will treat the tournament as a hunting ground. ICE’s acting director Todd Lyons said the organisation would be a “key part” of security at the World Cup. The tournament could prove a target-rich environment, if Hispanics in the US dare don Mexican or Colombian shirts to watch their teams in bars or stadiums.
