The World Cup is divisive

 by Noel S. Williams

Given their proclivity for protesting, there’s this double entendre: “The French are revolting.” They’re at it again, even more violent than ever, after soccer team Paris Saint-Germain won the prestigious Champions League tournament this past Saturday.

Despite their team winning, the violent and filthy Paris urchins took to the streets in mass mayhem to “celebrate” the victory with violence. Admittedly, they are cursed with being French, but are there red flags for the pending World Cup soccer tournament?

It is his job, so we shouldn’t be surprised when Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA (essentially, the governing body for soccer), proselytizes that football (soccer) unites the world.  I wish it were that simple, but his stance may be grossly Panglossian.

Soccer is a cheap game that even riff-raff in shanty towns and squalid communities throughout the world can play -- they just need a ball and some space that doesn’t have unexploded mines. Even proper boots are dispensable. It engenders intense national pride, and many of the nations that play each other can’t stand each other.

There may be some shallow and token consort between rival fans who manage to remain sober before matches. Add some liquid courage, and the “wrong” result, and that often turns to tribal savagery. As this video documents, the World Cup is not just about “football,” but chaos. It’s incongruous that an event that supposedly “unites” the world requires such robust policing.

The U.S. could potentially face Spain in the quarterfinals. Iran will play Egypt in Seattle. Seeding permutations make it possible that Brazil plays Argentina in the knockout stages of the tournament -- traditionally, they hate each other. Good luck to the authorities responsible for controlling their rival fans (and the on-field refs controlling players). There’s even potential for an Argentina versus England matchup. (Memories live long, including the Falklands and “Hand of God.”) Germany could also face England in the later rounds -- those memories live even longer, especially among the uncouth, uneducated, riff-raff who are inclined to imbibe too much.

Those are just a few of the soccer rivalries that could boil over amongst overwrought hooligans. The point is that the World Cup will, if past is prologue, likely exacerbate disunity, not engender harmony. Then there are this year’s co-hosting nations. International relations are fraught with complex contingencies, but there is only sporadic (at best) unity between the U.S., Mexico (Iran’s team will be based there), and Canada.

If we relish a sporting event that may, at least temporarily, bring some negligible unity to the world, then bring on the Summer Olympics Games (2028 in LA.)  The uplifting spirit and touching camaraderie of that glorious spectacle can inspire (minus the occasional cheating) even grizzled grumps. There’s occasional bad sportsmanship (e.g., Australia), but it’s an event that at least attempts to blend sport, culture, and education to help better our world.

For the World Cup, summon the police. For the Summer Olympic Games, Summon the Heroes.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/06/the_world_cup_is_divisive.html