The World Cup is in the spotlight this year not only for the competition on the field but also for the growing political debates ahead of the tournament. Awarding the organization to three countries, ticket prices, security concerns, boycott calls, and discrimination allegations have expanded the field of debate around football.
This year's tournament is shared for the first time among Canada, Mexico, and the US. With 48 teams and over 1,200 players, the organization is notable for its scale as well.
The issues surrounding the tournament are growing
The debate was not limited to the format. Transportation, security, immigration, racism, and the political atmosphere shaped around Donald Trump in the US were among the topics overshadowing the tournament.
In particular, rising ticket prices have led many fans to reconsider their plans to attend matches in North America. This has strengthened the question of whether the tournament is a fan-centered sports festival or an investment-driven mega-event.
Mandl: Football brings the world together for a few weeks
Lukas Mandl argued that the World Cup is an event that should be celebrated despite the problems. He said football brings people together around a sense of family for a few weeks, and stressed that unnecessarily politicizing the organization or confining it to an elite framework would not be beneficial.
Mandl's approach also aligned with FIFA President Gianni Infantino's earlier assessment. Infantino had said that in a divided world, moments that bring people together are needed, and the World Cup would be a great example of that.
Infantino also pointed to the importance of 90-minute matches for billions of people to briefly forget their problems.
Andresen: Fans must remain at the center of the game
Rasmus Andresen, on the other hand, took a more critical line. He said football should not become a playground for investors and pricing algorithms.
According to Andresen, the exclusion of fans from the stands and the treatment of clubs as assets in global ownership networks undermine the social and solidarity value of sport. He therefore called for stronger ownership rules, transparency, and oversight in ticket pricing.
Andresen also argued that Europe can no longer stand on the sidelines on this issue. In his view, football must be protected as a public value, not just as a profit-generating industry.
Eyes on the tournament's trajectory
The debate is expected to grow further in the coming weeks. Whether the World Cup can refocus global attention around football or remain overshadowed by political debates will be decisive for the tournament's trajectory.
On one side, there is the expectation of a unifying sports festival; on the other, sharpening criticism over prices, security, and discrimination. For this reason, the tournament has reopened not only the question of who will win the trophy but also what social role football will play in the future.
