US is winning World Cup of division

LONG before the opening whistle of next month's World Cup, the beautiful game has already been turned ugly.

- CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

Football’s greatest celebration is supposed to unite nations, flood city streets with fans, and remind people why the sport is the most loved on the planet.

Instead, the competition arriving in North America risks becoming a monument to excess, political vanity and corporate greed.

For decades, World Cups have created moments of international togetherness. Rival fans drink together, swap shirts, share trains, and celebrate the sport rather than the borders between them.

Yet the atmosphere surrounding the US-hosted games feels different. Many supporters are not counting down the days. They are debating whether they even want to go.

The reasons are impossible to ignore. Ticket prices are absurd, transforming football from a working-class passion into a luxury product for the wealthy.