At its best, the World Cup encapsulates the best of our species. Because football is a simple, dynamic game that provokes complex, elemental emotions, it crosses borders and cultures with impunity, making the cross-border, cross-cultural imperative of its global expression the greatest show on Earth. All human beings covet joy, community and identity – we might just call it love – and football is the most reliable conduit of mankind’s finest facility.
But what constitutes the perfect World Cup? For most of us, the answer is obvious: our debut. Which means that for some, the simple thrill of unrelenting football means that Qatar 2022 will forever be where it’s at – despite everything – while the rest of us try to assimilate the devastating compromises we’re about to make.
