Goodbye for now World Cup :(
For almost my entire life I’ve been a huge supporter of the World Cup. Life changes during the 4 weeks every 4 years when I sometimes watch 3 games in a single day. I’ve been fortunate to have some amazing World Cup experiences, attending in person in 1994 when I was living in California, (note the ticket price here as that’s important).
I was in Scotland in 1998, (the last time Scotland played in a World Cup), and soaked in the amazing atmosphere of the pubs, (being in a pub in Portree on the Isle of Skye when Scotland was eliminated by Morocco). I was at the British F1 at Silverstone, which was the same day as the 1998 final in France, when the rich were helicoptered out from the F1 to attend the final, while the rest of us watched on a HUGE screen in a huge tent, complete with beer garden in a rainy farmer’s field at Silverstone. In 2002 I was camping around Europe, watching the games on big screens in various campgrounds and pubs, surrounded by supporters from many European countries. In 2010, when South Africa hosted, while my cousin who lives there attended numerous games, my other cousin and I watched games together on tv while texting non-stop, (being that he lives in Scotland, and I live in Canada). My cousin in SA sent me a vuvuzela, which still occupies a place of importance in our house.
Need I go on? Obviously, I’m a fan. When it was first announced that the U.S., Mexico, and Canada were to jointly host the 2026 World Cup, (with games originally going to be held in Toronto and Edmonton), my dad and I were planning to head to Edmonton for games. When the games were moved from Edmonton to Vancouver, we were elated. I signed up to volunteer. I was so excited!
Then things started happening. First, there is the cost of tickets. Go back to my photo of my 1994 ticket, and while I don’t think that tickets should still be $25USD, (it was $40 for our quarterfinal game), I could have swallowed a 10x raise, even though my salary hasn’t gone up tenfold in that same time, but $800-$10,000/game is too much for me to shell out. I still hoped that I would be able to volunteer, and see a game or two that way. Next was the gouging of accommodation costs, but the final straw for me was the ridiculous FIFA Peace Prize. History shows that appeasement never works, and that display sickened me. That’s when I decided that this World Cup wasn’t going to be my priority, and made other plans for this time.
However, watching my prophecy come true, (teams being from staying in the U.S., people not be allowed to enter, visas and travel approvals being reversed), things that last year my friends and relatives poo-pooed me and my negativity for, is making this World Cup into even a larger farce. The corruption of FIFA is on display, but alongside is the corruption and vindictiveness, of the United States. I can no longer sit back and let it pass. So, I’m out. I don’t know that I will watch a single game, I certainly won’t be attending one. I feel terribly for the players, but this is like the 1980 Olympics, where friends of mine lost their opportunity to compete as countries withdrew. I’m not sure why that isn’t happening this time around?
I do hope though that the equally as corrupt IOC is taking note, and behind the scenes are making a Plan B for another country to host the 2028 Summer Olympic Games? They may wait until the midterms, (certain to be comprised), before announcing a change of venue, but surely they’ve put the ball in motion?
For now, I wish the teams good luck. I’ll probably still check the scores. I just hope the games and scores are the story of these games, not the violence, absence of teams, officials, and fans, but again, that might be wishful thinking. Hopefully the games held in Canada and Mexico will at least be successful.
