If the beautiful game is exposing some of its more disagreeable aspects on the eve of the world’s biggest sporting event, we can squarely lay the blame on its governing body and a co-host. A swell-up of complaints on the eve of the football world cup is not new; what’s uncommon this year is its nature and volume. Unplayable pitches, ill-planned logistics, last-minute rule changes, officials and fans denied visas, and harassment of those allowed in—the tournament co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada opening today has seen it all even before the first kick-off.
When Fifa President Gianni Infantino promised a few weeks ago that this World Cup would be the “biggest, the most inclusive and the greatest”, he may have been on the ball only about the first point. The format has been expanded this year to include 48 teams, double the number that played in 1994, the only other year the US played host. But Fifa placed the tournament beyond the means of a large section of fans by pricing tickets far higher than at earlier editions and keeping only a tiny sliver of each stadium for the cheapest seats. Then, various arms of the US administration made it difficult for even those with invites. In the first cup where a host is at war with a participating nation, the Iran contingent was disallowed the right to overnight stay, breaching Fifa rules and forcing Tijuana in Mexico to be offered as the base city at the last minute. Accusations of profiling flew thick after players from Senegal and Uzbekistan were singled out for extensive body searches. Omar Artan, the first referee from Somalia invited to officiate at a World Cup, was denied entry without a clear reason.
There are several lessons in what not to do for countries like India that are aspiring to host large international events like the Olympics. The foremost is minding the obligation of welcoming players and fans from all participating nations without prejudice. However, Infantino may yet be proven prescient on his final claim. Given the galaxy of stars in play—with final appearances of ageing stars like Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar, and first looks at exciting youngsters like Lamine Yamal, Yan Diomande and Gilberto Mora—this might just be a tournament for the ages. Over to the action on pitch.