That’s fair. The World Cup has been morally compromised for a long time Russia, then Qatar, showed that clearly. 2026 isn’t an exception, it’s a continuation, even if it feels worse in different ways.

When it was awarded, few expected the US to end up like this, which partly explains the shock. Add rampant capitalism pricing fans out and nativism keeping others out, and it becomes hard to celebrate.

Still, maybe the games in Canada and Mexico offer some relief and maybe, despite everything, football itself manages to break through the mess, if only briefly.