Hehehe, you’re right, and I hope it will be epic! I’m making a note for June 26th in my calendar…
One reason I’ll always love Leon Goretzka, the Germany national team player, and Manuel Neuer: in 2020, Hungary came to Munich to play in the Euros just as their parliament was passing anti-LGBTGQ+ laws. They protested the lighting of the Munich stadium in Pride colors, as well as German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer wearing the Pride armband. In classic bureaucratic fashion, the armband was under the authority of German officials, and they let him wear it; stadium lighting was under the governance of the Euro federation, UEFA, and they disallowed it.
Anyway. Goretzka scored the late equalizer in the match, raced over to the Hungarian section, and made a heart symbol at them with his hands. In general, making any kind of motion to away fans is very poor form, but fuck them.
Seems to me the most likely outcome is FIFA saying, “We can’t control anything outside of the stadium, but no fans inside the Seattle stadium will be allowed to wear anything pro-LGBT.”
That’d be extremely fucked up. As @Thing.Fish pointed out, the Qataris got to push their homophobic agenda on the rest of us when the World Cup was held there. Now it’s our turn to set the rules. If Iran or Egypt doesn’t like it, they don’t have to come here.
And if Trump does try something, we all need to start amplifying the message is Trump is weak, giving in to the hostile nation of Iran like the pathetic little coward he is until he’s too embarrassed to do it.
I’m not quite that far yet, but my enthusiasm is definitely way down for this WC. Between the ongoing sports washing, now including Trump and the thoroughly insane “peace prize”, and the ridiculous ticket pricing, what should have been a great local World Cup experience is now just something to be endured. I’ll still watch, so far, but may be spending some time in Mexico to watch games there and enjoy the local atmosphere, even if only in a bar.
I know it’s a very flippant comparison. But this reminds me of John Rabe appealing to Hitler after the Rape of Nanking to stop Japanese atrocities in China. Gouging loyal fans for every penny they can get away with is like FIFAs whole entire deal, what makes you think they are the ones you should be appealing to?
The only way they will ever listen is if/when people vote with their feet and don’t attend. Ain’t gonna happen…they will find enough mugs who will complain and then stump up the cash anyway.
On the other hand neither country has contributed billions to the Trump-Kushner benevolence fund. If this was Qatar-Saudi it would be a done deal, the pride march would be cancelled, using seal team 6 and bunker busters if necessary.
They may still let their hatred of gays and liberal East coast big cities overcome their hatred of Iran (Egypt they have no problem with, run as it is by a vicious authoritarian strong man), but they will be at least conflicted.
Though tbh Trump would care as much as if 3rd oboist at the Kennedy Center played the wrong note in a concerto. He doesn’t care about the football at the world cup in this slightest. He only cares because it’s a prestigious event where he gets demonstrate how much of a boss he is and be sucked up to by lots of important people.
Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter joins those calling for boycott of World Cup in United States
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday backed a proposed fan boycott of World Cup matches in the United States because of the conduct of President Donald Trump and his administration at home and abroad.
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In his interview with Der Bund, Pieth said, “If we consider everything we’ve discussed, there’s only one piece of advice for fans: Stay away from the USA! You’ll see it better on TV anyway. And upon arrival, fans should expect that if they don’t please the officials, they’ll be put straight on the next flight home. If they’re lucky.”
Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made a Great Point - Wikipedia
Not really calling for a boycott by the national teams I see, just the fans.
There’s a part of me that wants all european teams and brazil to boycott the cup… (hey a star is a star!)
There’s also a larger part of me that wants Argentina to boycott it, but knows that with our current Trump-ass-kisser president and Infantino-ass-kisser football federation president that is not possible.
If enough of the players have strong enough principles it would be possible. It’d be possible for all the teams. But never going to happen.
Indeed. When the famously corrupt former chief of a famously corrupt organization says, “you know, that guy has gone too far,” that’s saying something.
Sepp Blatter is still alive? Damned, corruption is healthy! Bad news that.
“Hierba mala nunca muere” (bad weeds (as in those you need to remove from your fields) never die)
On second thought if every big player except Argentina boycotts the World Cup, we’ll probably get overconfident and lose against Morocco or Japan , so I hope it doesn’t happen.
It was unwise to choose the United States during Trump’s first administration(decision was made in 2018).
I would completely understand any boycott by any amount of people.
I suppose they (and IOC) figured he would be done and gone by then, not pull a Grover Cleveland.
Or if he had been reelected in 2020, he would also be done and gone by 2026.
But here we are.
Yes, I think that is what they meant.
I don’t think teams will boycott, but fans should consider.