Football (or soccer for some) is the game of the people. At least, that is what it is supposed to be. But watching the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada this year, it seems like the people for whom football is actually meant are being pushed into second place.
But it seems that this edition is mainly driven by money.

Yesterday I came across a satirical article from Dutch news website DeSpeld. They publish 'fake news' with a wink. Here is the article:

It translates as: "Referee must watch commercial before doing the VAR check."
First it made me smile, but with the influence of commercial interests in this edition, this is not even that far from the truth.

More teams, more money

This edition the FIFA decided to expand the number of teams from 32 to 48.
Yes, more countries get the chance to participate this way and also more fans can experience a World Cup, but I think it's more about financial benefits for FIFA.
More teams mean more matches. More matches mean more tickets, television rights, sponsorships opportunities.
Will it improve the quality of the tournament? I am not convinced. With all respect; having countries like Qatar, Haïti and Curacao don’t have much to do in a tournament with the best footballing nations in the world.
A World Cup is special because only the very best teams play against each other. A longer tournament with more teams doesn't make it a better one I think.

Ticket prices

One of the biggest issues is the ticket pricing of the tournament.
Ticket prices have reached levels that make visiting matches impossible for 'ordinary' fans.
For a ticket of a group match you have to pay hundreds of euros and in some cases even over one thousand euros.
And than I haven't even mentioned the prices for flights, accommodation, food and local transport.
A World Cup should be a celebration for football fans, but it feels more and more like a luxury event reserved for those with very deep pockets.

During the first matches I've seen quite a lot of empty seats. I don't think that is a coincidence.
Although the FIFA said that the fans choose to watch from the concourses rather than sitting in their assigned seats. Well I seriously have my doubts about that...

Cooling breaks

And then there is the introduction of cooling breaks during every match. After 23 minutes the teams get a break to drink something. This measure was officially introduced for the health of the players, who have to endure a lot under very hot conditions with high humidity. But it was introduced for all matches, also those played under normal circumstances and even those that are played in airconditioned stadiums 🤨
The fact that the two times three minute breaks per match are filled with advertisements show the real reason for this measure I think.

No water bottles

While the cooling breaks were in favor of the health of the players, the fans weren't allowed to bring water bottles into the stadium.
After the FIFA received some critics, the decision was reversed. Banning water bottles from the stadiums would force fans to buy drinks in the stadiums, making the total cost of visiting a match even more expensive than it already was.

Yes, sports events have become more commercial. Organizing an event like this is expensive, but the direction this is going at the moment is concerning and not in favor of football itself nor its fans.

What do you think? Has the World Cup become too commercial, or is this simply the reality of modern football? I would be interested to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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