Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Comment
Myke Bartlett

The World Cup is a chance for non-sports fans like me to embrace the beautifully inconsequential game

World Cup Football
Korea Republic score against Czechia in the World Cup
‘We so rarely watch the same television at the same time… Football is a place that brings us all together.’ Korea Republic score against Czechia in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. Photograph: Alex Slitz/Getty Images

If you’re not a football fan, it’s possible your life online has suddenly become quite alienating. Friends who may once have seemed sensible, sensitive, even artistic, have been inexplicably converted into people who name-drop wingers and centre backs and post about staying up late to watch Côte d’Ivoire play Ecuador.

All I can say is, don’t fight it.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Heidi Klum Teases 'Very, Very Bloody' Halloween Costume as Fans Spot Grotesque Body Parts
Heidi Klum has teased her 2026 Halloween costume with an image of brain- and intestine-like prosthetics, prompting fan theories before her annual New York party.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
The hill I will die on: The email sign-off is archaic – it needs to go. No regards, Tom
The torture of the inbox is made insufferably worse by the dated cliches at the beginning and end, says journalist Tom Gill
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
New Trump rule allows hunters to bait bears in Alaska with doughnuts, bacon and more
Critics decry Trump administration rule that lets hunters lure bears with human foods on federal lands in Alaska
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sylvester Stallone defends casting daughter in Tulsa King: ‘Of course it’s nepotism, you idiot’
Scarlet Rose Stallone appears in the hit series ‘Tulsa King’ in a recurring role
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Ground Beef and Strawberries Cost More as New Federal Diet Advice Puts Protein at Every Meal
Ground beef rose 7.4% and strawberries 10.4% in a year, as federal dietary advice stresses protein. Beans, eggs, and frozen produce can ease the cost.
Medical Daily
Medical Daily
Dog gives you the guilty look? Here's what research says it actually means
Walk into a room where something has gone wrong and your dog is already doing it: head low, ears back, eyes wide and soft, maybe a slow tail wag aimed at the floor. Every owner reads this the same way. The dog knows. Except the research says that is probably…
Times Pets
Times Pets
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play