I wrote this post out and then nearly deleted it last night- well, most of it, I'd have left the music in, two tracks at the bottom of the post both named World Cup Theme. It seemed unnecessarily gloomy and a bit of a rant. What's the point in moaning about an international sporting tournament? If you don't like it, don't watch it, I told myself. I barely watched any of the last one, a one- man boycott that had no impact on anyone but me.
The World Cup starts today, Mexico playing South Africa in Mexico City at 8pm our time. I'm struggling to find much enthusiasm for it. Once upon a time the World Cup seemed to have a magic of its own, players you'd never see on the TV, exotic sounding Brazilian players with one word names (Zico, Eder, Socrates), world class players appearing on our televisions in kits you only saw in photos in magazines- the specific blue of the Italy shirt, Brazil's dusty yellow, Argentina's blue and white stripes with black short and socks, Peru with a sash across the front of the shirt, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands. Foreign players and national sides were a rarity, a once every few years treat. By the time of the USA '94 tournament we might have seen the top Italian sides play on Channel 4 on a Sunday afternoon but there was a scarcity to the World Cup that gave it a lustre, an experience no other sporting tournament offered.
That special nature and a sort of vague purity that the World Cup had- no transfers, no money splashed buying the best players, sides made up of just those players who happen to have been born in the same nation state at around the same time- has been completely sullied by modern day FIFA. The 2018 World Cup was in Putin's Russia (he'd already annexed Crimea by this point). The last one was in Qatar, stadia constructed using modern day slave labour. This one is in Trump's USA as well as Canada and Mexico. The 2034 one is in Saudi Arabia. It's seems like FIFA are deliberately awarding the World Cup to authoritarian states. I look forward to China and North Korea co- hosting in 2038.
FIFA's man in charge is Gianni Infantino, the man who gave Trump a specially created, just- for- him, FIFA peace prize to make up for those nasty people at Nobel not giving him theirs. Not long after he started bombing Iran. He's still at it, no closer to peace than he was in February. Sepp Blatter was a truly awful FIFA president but at least his only fault was he was on the make, taking backhanders for votes. Infantino makes Blatter look like a model leader.
The ticket prices in the US are sky high, reflecting apparently the dynamic pricing model of the US sports market. They're having a half time show in the final. They've prevented some members of the Iranian squad and a Somali referee from entering the country. ICE will be present at the matches. They've expanded the tournament to forty eight teams which looks likely to increase the number of meaningless group stage matches, Infantino labouring under the illusion that more is better, that bigger is better. Cristiano Ronaldo had a red card rescinded so he can appear in the group stage games for Portugal- a decision made for commercial and television reasons, not sporting ones.
I could go on. It all seems depressingly gaudy and corrupt, a TV show about a sport, an empty vessel celebrating the worst of the 21st century, late stage capitalism and authoritarian regimes.
Maybe I'll get drawn in once it starts.
In the meantime, good luck Mexico! I hope you go all the way, meeting Iran in the final. The thought of thousands of Mexican and Iranian fans celebrating on US soil makes me smile. Highly unlikely of course- underdogs never win the World Cup, it's always won by one of the top two or three sides. That counts both England and Scotland out too I think.
A few weeks ago my friend Pandit Pam Pam, an ambient/ electronic artist from Sao Paulo, Brazil, put out a track titled World Cup Theme (Goalkeeper)- a lovely, spritely slice of instrumental synth music. You can listen to it here.
It reminds me of this from 1986, Colourbox's Official World Cup Theme, one that like Pandit Pam Pam's was released to coincide with a World Cup held in Mexico.
11 comments:
Agree with just about every word there Adam.
Infantino and Trump two cheeks of the same arse.
I agree with everything you've written there Adam. Football is a grim shit show these days.
Couldn't agree more. Sport as business, grift and geopolitics.
By contrast, we at Amusements Towers have been watching the Southgate-years drama Dear England on the iPlayer. It's very good so far (am two parts in), and reminds you that football needn't necessarily be so tawdry.
Hear Hear
You will be pleased to hear there are plenty of tickets available for all six matches here in Seattle. A big economic boost was expected, but a bust seems imminent. Nobody wants to come to this country right now (Who can blame them?), and this sport has still not captured the hearts of most Americans. - Brian
I saw some of Dear England, turned on half way through an episode and made a mental note to start from the start- thanks for the reminder Martin
Brian- that's actually good to hear. Empty seats send a strong message.
Though I'm only the palest imitation of a true socc--*football*--fan, as long ago as 1986 I stood one afternoon in a tiny and sweltering (but jammed) dive bar in Madison, WIsconsin, to watch a World Cup game on a small elevated television because it wasn't easily available to be seen anywhere else. So one might think I'd be beside myself that my native country is one of the hosts this go-round. But not in the least. Trump has irreparably tainted anything with "USA" attached to it. I won't be seeking out a broadcast five feet from my couch this time.
Fuck the world cup. I almost cried when you quoted the HOLY trinity of Brazilian football. Very different times, with players that were good inside the pitch and outside. I was 8 years old in 86 and that cup was clearly the last breath of football as it should be. Nowadays it's a fucking washed piece of shit that is basically a kingdom where the players make millions and the vassals think this is some sort of divinity. Now there's this new angle in Brazil, these fucking betting apps that are literally stealing the last drop of money and dreams of this fucking country. I mean, if you're happy with all of this, I am happy. I'll be listening to Slint on headphones while this joke happens. Thanks for the lovely words, Adam. This text is brilliant.
Just to counter Adam. Of course this American World Cup is gonna be a gross commercialisation led by their huxter chief, but football was lost in '92 when Sky started pay to view. No i haven't joined the pay to view world. Everything is pay to view now. All the great European tournaments have all gone from terrestrial TV. So i am still grateful to get the live World Cup on terrestrial TV. As long as they don't put public executions on at the half time interval i shall be watching.
-SRC
Agree about free to air TV SRC, absolutely. I'm outraged that Tour de France has gone to pay per view.
Yes Adam it is an on-demand world. Apart from your Blog, you do it for the love of music.
-SRC
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