World Cup concerns are valid, but England should play on in the USA

The reasons for calling a strike are obvious. The US is co-hosting the tournament at the same time that its president deploys heavy-handed ICE agents, threatens to invade Greenland, and makes patronising and insulting comments to female journalists who question him.

But who would suffer as a result of England not playing? Ultimately, only England. Fifa can surely afford any lost income associated and other countries would have one fewer opponent to worry about.

All the while fans would be deprived of a chance to dream; society would not get its bi-annual chance to cast aside worries and pretend to be a manager; businesses and pubs would suffer; and a world class group of players would miss a chance of glory.

There is also the grimly amusing possibility that if England, Germany and France, all countries that have opposed at least some of Trump’s ideas, were to pull out, beneficiaries might end up being pro-MAGA countries, and suddenly find their path to glory opens up in front of them. It is currently very unlikely the USA will go all the way, but if Belgium, the Netherlands, and Australia, all potential opponents, were to pull out - suddenly it’s Soccer’s Coming Home.

Teams have missed the World Cup before. But who remembers Uruguay’s grudge over Europe stopping their title defence in 1934? Nobody. Do we still talk about Argentina and (serial refusenicks) Uruguay skipping the 1938 tournament? No, of course not. History remembers its winners. Nations who lift the trophy are immortalised and Brazil haven’t collected five stars on their shirt by staying at home at the sight of political unrest.

England have form for staying at home - having sat out early World Cup early editions from 1930 to 1950 due to a disagreement with Fifa. One can’t help but feel these were golden chances to create a greater footballing legacy. The USA didn’t attend the 1980 Olympics and thus caused a generation of athletes to miss out on the chance to compete in the pinnacle of sport due to a political feud.

Sport remembers winners, but it too remembers those who have made their voice heard after turning up to compete. We still talk about the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute, Germany’s Leon Goretzka making a heart gesture in front of Hungarian fans at Euro 2020 to take on homophobia, and, the most famous example, Jesse Owens disproving Aryan supremacy by winning golds in front of Hitler at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Winning the World Cup would be massive for England. Not playing would be newsworthy, but only for a while. As is often said about sport, it is the taking part that counts.

_______________

William Mata is a writer and SEO editor for LBC.

LBC Opinion, which provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.