It has been said that football is the most important of the least important things. When you come to a country like Germany for the European Championships you realize just maybe that football is the most important thing.
I challenge anyone to name another event that has the power to attract millions of people from so many diverse countries and cultures. One could argue that religion has a similarity to football, however, devotees gather for one deity whereas football is about multiple deities, characters, and personalities.
With that being said, can we assume that the priority of the governing bodies of football is to ensure that these festivals of football are played in an environment that is conducive to the fan experience?
Recently I have been presented with arguments to the contrary. It has been suggested to me that the job of governing bodies (FIFA, UEFA etc) is to spread football throughout the world and their regions, regardless of the economic and environmental impact of hosting a major tournament may have on a particular country.
My argument would be that football is already a worldwide phenomenon. It is not as though countries in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Australasia don’t understand or love football. They don’t need a World Cup to grow the sport. In fact, they already have regional tournaments that have history and legacy.
Football doesn’t need to go to countries where billions are spent on stadiums only to become white elephants and unusable (think South Africa, Brazil and Qatar). Football doesn’t need to go to regimes where human rights mean next to nothing (think Russia, Qatar and in the future Saudi Arabia). Football should stay in countries where stadiums are already in place, where transportation is available to all, and where different nationalities, and cultures have the right to visit without fear of being locked up for having an alcoholic drink or displaying affection in public.
You could argue that this view is myopic and screams of western bias, however, we are in a time and place where environmental and human rights concerns are front and center.
Is it necessary to exploit limited resources when infrastructure is already in place to host spectacular tournaments throughout the Western world?
When you come to an established football country (like Germany) you truly get to sense the power of the sport to bring people together. I have been told that while Qatar 2022 was amazing, the fact of the matter was that it was amazing for wealthy people. Your average fan, which constitutes the majority of football fans, do not come from unlimited means.
Take for instance the next World Cup. Travel to the United States will be all but unaffordable, along with accommodation, exorbitant ticket prices and over-priced beer. Not to mention the problems securing visas to a nation paranoid to the point of extremes over immigration. Good luck supporters from Muslim countries, along with Central and South America.
Arriving in Germany, I was asked by immigration the purpose of my visit. “Football”, I replied, and my passport was immediately stamped accompanied by a smile from the officer. Try getting that from ICE (immigration/custom/enforcement).
This may sound like I’m advocating for World Cups to only be played in Europe and you’d be correct. Spain, France, England, Italy and Germany are the countries that have the resources and infrastructure in place. A few other countries could quite conceivably co-host to share the burden.
If football is truly the global game, then let’s make it accessible to all by hosting it in countries that know “it is the most important thing of the least important things.”
Nick Webster is a journalist, broadcast presenter and media professional based on the US west coast. During the European Championship he has hosted the Inside Euro 2024 blog. Click here to check out the latest episode. Contact Nick at moc.l1719927682labto1719927682ofdlr1719927682owedi1719927682sni@o1719927682fni1719927682