Beneath the spectacle of a 'World Cup' or continental final lies a much bigger, more complex story—one that drags the ghosts of colonialism, the sharp contrasts of modern populism, and the ongoing battle against racism onto the world's biggest stage.
Bill Shankly's famous quote is very apt about the final between Spain and Argentina, and people have taken sides—some good, bad, and ugly. Shankly's legendary quote about football goes like this: "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death... I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." This was spoken by a football manager who loved the game, which he believed was intertwined with community, passion, and his socialist ideals.
The now world-famous pictures of Lionel Messi bathing a baby Lamine Yamal shared by Unicef.
Now that the semifinals are over, a mouth-watering final between two Spanish-speaking giants of world football is set for only one winner. The other winner will be FC Barcelona, whose status hangs over the match like a halo. But beneath the spectacle of a "World Cup" or continental final lies a much bigger, more complex story—one that drags the ghosts of colonialism, the sharp contrasts of modern populism, and the ongoing battle against racism onto the world's biggest stage.
