Football and politics

[malumbu]

I thought of going to the States for the World Cup.  But I just can't - Trump, the nonsense of entering the States and what FIFA has done to the sport including enlarging the competition and selling out to Gulf/Middle East States has put me off.

I found an article on the likely move of some European football overseas which prompted me to start the thread

https://thefsa.org.uk/news/uefa-gives-go-ahead-for-overseas-competitive-fixtures/

Edited October 11, 2025 by malumbu
FIFA not UEFA in first reference

[David Peckham]

Fifa are discussing expanding it to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament South America, which would mean 128 games. That's mad. They're aren't enough hours in the day to watch that much football and I'd have to move house to find a place with enough space for my 'Super Sun World Cup Wall Chart'.

There are games in Mexico and Canada in 2026, so that's an option. Mexico will be unbearably hot, Toronto will be unbearably dull - Leonard Cohen once described it as 'New York run by the Swiss' and he was spot on  -  so I'd say Vancouver. Possibly the most beautiful setting for a city outside Sydney and a great food scene. Nick over the border and there are matches in Seattle as well. The Amtrak train down from Seattle to San Francisco, another WC venue, through Oregon is staggering - and they have an observation car with a bar! Portland and Eugene are worth a couple of nights as well.

That part of northern California and the Pacific Northwest is the most un-Trumpy part of the US, so I wouldn't worry too much and Vancouver is surprisingly interesting, for Canada at least.

You've actually made me think about making the trip again.

 

[malumbu]

The Toronto is boring amused me.  I was thinking of Philadelphia but when I reconsidered, Toronto seemed the obvious place.  But my research came to your conclusion that it is in deed dull.

I've been to Vancouver twice but found that surprisingly sterile too.  I'll raise your Sydney with my San Fran and Wellington, both bay cities like Vancouver but I found far more cultural.  Although that is obvious with San Fran.

I've probably got myself banned from the US with this thread and my views on Trump posted elsewhere.

In your suggested tour what about the towns and cities where the National Guard has been called.  That would be fun.

Kansas is apparently a great place but will be frighteningly hot I expect

Edited October 11, 2025 by malumbu

[David Peckham]

I'd not really been keeping up on the National Guard situation, but having just had a quick Google, Portland is one of the cities where their use is pending.

Obviously, anywhere inland is going to be much hotter than than coasts - even the Great Lakes cities like Chicago and Toronto hit very high temperatures when the Humidex is factored in - so I can't imagine what Kansas City could be like in high summer.

Most of Kansas City is actually in Missouri, which is pretty strongly Trump country. The Mid West states tend to have higher gun ownership rates as well. Worth remembering if you're thinking about discussing politics in a bar. In general, if someone's wearing a Stetson and has a pick-up truck outside, they probably won't take well to talk about Democrats. And they probably have a gun.

I'd stick to the Pacific coast. It's the most progressive part of the States, so at least you can open your mouth in a bar. The weather won't be as oppressive as the Mid West or the East Coast either.

Vancouver, Seattle and Portland all have MLS teams - SF is getting one in the next couple of seasons - so the locals know something about football.

It's worth driving the Pacific Coast Highway down from San Francisco towards LA, if you've not done it before. San Jose isn't really worth your time but Big Sur, Monterey, Santa Cruz and the beach towns like Capitola are well worth a visit. The National / State Park networks down the coast all provide decent campsites for next to nothing, and the whole area is really well set up for hiking, mountain-biking, canoeing and fishing.

Edited October 13, 2025 by David Peckham

[malumbu]

Another reason to be put off is the prices

For most likely to be 100s of dollars for a ticket https://thefsa.org.uk/news/astonishing-world-cup-ticket-prices-revealed/

 

 

[David Peckham]

Fair point, those do look pretty eye-watering for the average fan. Maybe the first tranche is aimed somewhat at the corporate hospitality market?

FIFA did make a huge cock-up with the Club World Cup pricing and had to heavily discount even the semi-final, so there's still hope of some cheap tickets. I can't imagine Cabo Verde vs Uzbekistan on a wet Wednesday night would be a sell-out, unless New York or Los Angeles have a 'Verdeville' or 'Little Tashkent'.

Of far greater concern is that Budweiser will be the only beer available in the stadia. That's reason enough to boycott the whole thing.

FIFA seem deaf to any concerns about the quantity of football being played. There are going to be more inconsequential games, but for many 'elite' players, like Kane, Mbappe and Bellingham, this will be their third summer tournament on the bounce. They'll be knackered and that's got to affect the quality of the bigger matches.
 

Edited October 16, 2025 by David Peckham

[malumbu]

Oh, deffo a reason not to attend (Bud). Two of my tournaments have been in Germany where they insist on having the local brew as well.  In Brazil it was Bud, but enterprising shacks on the way were selling Brazilian beer, although Brahma is just as bad.  You need German communities to have decent stuff.