This summer will host the biggest international football tournament in the game’s history, the first one to span an entire continent and the first time that a World Cup host will be at war with a competing nation. Basically: strap in.
The sheer size of the tournament changes the game for coverage. In 2022, 64 matches were played to decide the world champion. In 2026, 72 matches will be played to decide which 16 countries won’t make the last-32 round and then we have the knockouts. It’s a football all-you-can-eat buffet.
The geopolitical ripples are also extraordinary, and not just because of the US-Iran war. In Qatar, the most common criticism on my reportage was “Errr have you seen America?” And yes, I had seen America. There are issues surrounding the treatment of minorities, heat, freedom of the press, surveillance and so much more.
To which we must add the questions surrounding Fifa’s governance of the game, greed, the premiership of Gianni Infantino and the economics of a tournament that has priced out so many international travellers. This is a non-normal World Cup for myriad reasons and thus demands non-normal coverage. And so…
What is the project?
