The football will likely give us some memorable moments, but it’s hard to ignore everything happening off the pitch.
The World Cup is supposed to be a celebration of the world’s game, bringing together fans from every country and background. Instead, we’re seeing concerns about visas, travel restrictions and even officials being denied entry to the host nation. That creates a perception that some supporters are more welcome than others, which is the exact opposite of what a World Cup should represent. Recent controversies involving visa issues and entry refusals have only added to those concerns.
Then there’s FIFA itself. This is an organisation with a long history of corruption allegations and governance scandals, yet it continues to act as if criticism is unreasonable. The World Cup has become less about football and more about politics, corporate interests and extracting as much money as possible from fans through eye-watering ticket prices.
I love the World Cup and I’ll still watch it, but FIFA shouldn’t get a free pass. If you’re hosting a global tournament, fans, players and officials from around the world should feel welcome, and the governing body should be held to a much higher standard than it has been historically.
