It’s official, well almost. Fifa has announced the location for the 2030 (centenary) World Cup. And the winner is… all over the place. In an extraordinary departure the tournament will be played in three continents with matches in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The decision, which will surely be rubber stamped at next year’s congress has been hailed by Fifa as ‘unit[ing] the world in a unique global celebration’ and by Football Supporters Europe (a body officially recognised by Uefa) as ‘Horrendous for supporters’ and ‘The end of the World Cup as we know it.’
It is tempting to speculate if Fifa is on a mission to destroy the world’s most popular and successful sporting tournament. Do its delegates meet in secret plotting how the event can be wrecked, through inappropriate hosting decisions, constant increases in size unjustified by footballing quality or demand, and scheduling seemingly designed to maximally inconvenience clubs and the fans?
The problems with the 2030 plan are so numerous and serious that it is hard to know where to start.
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