The one thing uniting rival fans at this year’s World Cup, which kicked off across the US, Canada and Mexico this week, has been their frustration over how football’s greatest stage has been tainted by events off the pitch.
Fifa’s award of a peace prize to US President Donald Trump last year, and its extortionate pricing of most tickets, has revived longstanding criticisms of the governing body’s integrity. Even if fans manage to secure the cheapest tickets, it would still cost them close to $7,000 to follow their team to the final — that’s before accounting for the cost of travelling across North America.
The geopolitical backdrop has been depressing too. Many supporters from non-European qualified nations have been denied visas to the US. Even a match referee from Somalia was refused entry. This is the first World Cup where a host nation is at war with one of the participating nations — and Trump has not allowed the Iranian team to stay overnight on US soil. The three hosts are also in the midst of a fierce trade dispute.