I just read this article in the Graun. The ticket prices are obscene and will exclude most football supporters, even if they can afford price-gouged air fares and accommodation. An English friend was all set to go, despite border checks and Ice, but shelved the idea once he saw the early ticket prices. It’s only got worse since then.
OH isn’t really bothered about watching it at the moment because it just seems so corrupt. Infantino and the orange infant seem to have ruined it.
Even the transport costs to the stadia are outrageous, in one case hiked from $13 to $150.
It’s just become a money making scam - there’s so many ways in which Trump’s version of the USA and the appropriately named Infantino’s sucking up to him have already messed up this World Cup. Hope Canada and Mexico can help salvage it.
World cup. Olympics … all corrupt, as far as I can see.
I can’t imagine a more tawdry and tedious sporting event.
Actually there’s a big difference, I love football, but have no interest in the Olympics apart from how in recent times it’s been used to help creatively regenerate areas of host cities. By contrast, despite perhaps arousing deeper fan passion, the World Cup has never had that social dimension.
Remember being at a conference at U of Urbino in 2006, when Italy beat France (and Zidane was sent off) and loving watching American academics who knew nothing about football getting sucked into watching it on the cafes’ giant screens.
And that night, the locals’ celebrations were very insane…
On the subject of which, long ago, a former colleague of mine used to make large faux heroic romantic paintings of football hooligans (I still have a large charcoal drawing of the Heysel stadium battle between Liverpool and Juventus ‘ultras’ that is a parody of Delacroix). In 1990, he got an Arts Council grant to document the 1990 World Cup in Italy and produced a memorably overblown take on Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow, with a long line of dejected English fans, banners dragging in the dust trudging away from the stadium in Bari where Italy had just beaten England 2-1.
Golf makes me feel like that unless it’s crazy golf played down in the holiday village in next commune. The TV coverage gives me a headache when it goes up high and then drops and it’s so boring. I was brought up in a cricketing family, every Saturday and some Sundays in season following dad and my brother and the local village team and I still like to watch it now. Football is OK if it’s a side I would support or France playing, not interested in the England team. The World Cup however is boring to start until the heats are over and the tension begins to rise and then I will sit and watch some of the games. My family support the local Nashville league side and often go to games and get quite a few UK teams on visiting tours but depending on who they are, like Beckham’s team, the tickets can get very pricey. The atmosphere in the US for all sporting events is legendary and is part of the experience so I expect the World Cup games held there will be much the same
Wonderful memories of 2018, when France won the World Cup.
OH and I hadn’t followed the matches.. but we’d heard our neighbours yelling or cursing… depending … 
but for the Final, our Maire arranged for a large TV to be set up in the village restaurant and almost everyone piled-in (even us).
OH and I sat at the back, so we could slip away if we chose to… but we were spellbound.
Phew, finally… everyone was cheering!!
Our maire mentioned something he’d read… and everyone looked hopeful
and, yes, our church bells rang out.. loud and clear… hurrah!
I like football, played it regularly into my 20s, and watch a couple of my local teams. I have no interest in the world cup whatsoever. I would genuinely rather stand in the wind and rain and watch the local teams. I could analyse further the reasons why but that’s the nub of it.
Have you always disliked the world cup or is it this year, like my OH?
I’ve had no interest for years, probably since the 90s, but I’ve had no real negative feelings towards it. This year though is closer to an actual dislike for the event itself.
We used to do just that for home games, but that’s now a bit dodgy for our health.
Shame really as it was an opportunity to see and chat with folk we don’t get to see too often… as well as clap our lads on the back and praise 'em (no matter what) 
EDIT: Perhaps our Maire could give the club some sheltered seating for the (ahem) somewhat older fans. 
Knowing nothing about football, a friend and I were in central London on the 30th July 1966 to see a play in the West End (no idea what the play was). The noise of cheering from outside was so loud we could not hear what was being said onstage. 
I enjoy football too. I’m not sure how I’ll get on with this WC. I’m very disinclined to watch but if England do well I’ll be hard pressed not to take some interest.
My local team are playing Aston Villa in Istanbul next week, for the final of some competition (Euro league?).
I vastly prefer Rugby so I’m not au fait with the details. Everyone here is very happy though that they’ve made it to the final.
No need for imagination. LIV Golf.
I underwent aversion therapy for soccer in the 1970s when my late father dragged me to Luton Town games for a couple of seasons.
Which seems to be fading into the UAE sunset 
Yep, that’ll do it.
Unless you’re into football the WC doesn’t mean much but it is the most watched sporting event on the planet, this year’s tournament is the biggest ever and lasts for five weeks, I wish I was going.