World Cup

[JoelfuckingGlazer]

It kicks off in just over a week. Is it just me, or is anyone else not arsed? Feels like the lowest key, 'meh', couldn't give a fuck world cup ever....?

[sheesh]

It kicks off in just over a week. Is it just me, or is anyone else not arsed? Feels like the lowest key, 'meh', couldn't give a fuck world cup ever....?

I feel the same way, Joel.

Not sure people will want to travel to the US for the games. It will be bloody expensive.

The competition I most enjoyed was France '98, followed very closely by USA' 94 (the first tournament I watched as a kid).

[Fuck the Glazers]

FIFAs money grab has pushed people too far. Hosting games in affluent North America aka the land of consumerism takes the piss. The cost of transport, hotels etc is astronomical

America & Canada aren't football nations. There is zero atmosphere. When it was held in South Africa they appreciated it. There was a powerful energy that united people in the country and infected the games. But the US is wealthy and pushes toxic individualism and rank consumerism. They don't know how to come together and have a good time.

If they'd have held it just in Mexico, the excitement would be off the fucking scale, and it would have infected us all. It would have been been cheaper as well.

There are also too many games now.

[Jason]

Maybe recency bias, but I actually think Infantino is worse than blatter. Especially when he came in originally and was supposed to cleanse fifa of the blatter era and corruption.

Its probably worse than its ever been, summed up by a saudi 2034 world cup.

Wait till you see the shit they come up with for the final. Half time show being forced on us. And they will be extending the 15 minute half time break to fit it all in. That alone is an absolute disgrace and should never be allowed. Maybe im a dinosaur at 42.

I agree the 98 was probably pinnacle for me, getting home from school, ko times were all perfect, was glorious.

[JoelfuckingGlazer]

France 98 was class. Partly because I was 18, single, and very heavily on the piss. But there were some absolute ballers and proper sides. That Dutch side with Bergkamp, De Boer(s), Davids, Seedorf, Stam. Phenomenal. Argentina with Ortega, Batistuta, Simeone. Brazil, France, stacked with flair. Even the more marginal sides like Croatia had players like Suker, Nedved. Italia 90 was class too. But that's probably just childhood nostalgia.

France 98 is where it peaked, both in terms of quality and affordable access.

[Fuck the Glazers]

Maybe recency bias, but I actually think Infantino is worse than blatter. Especially when he came in originally and was supposed to cleanse fifa of the blatter era and corruption.

Its probably worse than its ever been, summed up by a saudi 2034 world cup.

Wait till you see the shit they come up with for the final. Half time show being forced on us. And they will be extending the 15 minute half time break to fit it all in. That alone is an absolute disgrace and should never be allowed. Maybe im a dinosaur at 42.

I agree the 98 was probably pinnacle for me, getting home from school, ko times were all perfect, was glorious.

I'm 41, and it's hard cos we sound like old men saying "it was better in my day". But it was, and it's objectively worse now - too expensive, too much faux hype, too many games etc. I think young people can see that as well.

Have to say, if they do a half time show like in the fucking Superbowl I'm not gonna watch. Pure American shite.

[Felwin]

Just turned 50 in the spring so I'm old enough to remember 86' and just about 82' (though I reckon that's more due to replays of the big moments down the years).

Italia 90 really was an amazing summer. It felt like the couple of years before that it was just the lads on the playground talking about footy but all of a sudden all the girls and mums wanted to know what was going on. I can remember thinking Gazza was the coolest fucker going (bar Lee Sharpe) and my little brother doing the Barnesy rap on repeat. Great memories.

Should've been more into USA 94' but similar to Joel in 98' I was out galavanting on the piss and tbf with no England it didn't have the same sheen.

France 98' was class though, with you all there. Weather was great from what I remember. TVs and projectors in pubs were much more of a thing. Lots of memorable games, in particular Holland vs. Argentina. Šuker was class, England were actually fairly good... Also, it might not be the same for all of you, but where I grew up, it felt like the world just got that bit brighter post 97'. Lot to be said for that period of 97'-01' in terms of a wider cultural vibe around the UK.

Not purely to do with the World Cup, but I reckon football in general peaked shortly after and has slowly got increasingly shitter year on year.

Kick-off times this year will kill any residual excitement for me anyway. 50 years old now. Can't be staying up all hours to watch Haiti vs. Scotland. Highlights will do.

[FuB]

I feel much the same as the rest of you. Most times, i'll try to watch every game possible, even if i've got it in a corner of the screen whilst working but, this year, i'm finding it hard to give much of a shit. A lot of that is down to the timings of the games but the one thing that none of you has mentioned yet is that you can be sure as fuck that the whole thing will (and already has) the spectre of Trump hanging over it. Just watch how he tries to make it all about him and watch how Infantino sucks his cock dry throughout.

[Felwin]

I feel much the same as the rest of you. Most times, i'll try to watch every game possible, even if i've got it in a corner of the screen whilst working but, this year, i'm finding it hard to give much of a shit. A lot of that is down to the timings of the games but the one thing that none of you has mentioned yet is that you can be sure as fuck that the whole thing will (and already has) the spectre of Trump hanging over it. Just watch how he tries to make it all about him and watch how Infantino sucks his cock dry throughout.

Honestly, it feels like we're just full to the brim with Trump and FIFA corruption. Can they really do anything else to prove how much of a reprehensible bunch they are? I reckon just avoid the USA games and you'll mostly avoid Trump.

Fair play though, the final could be unwatchable. Hope it's Mexico and they win it or even better, Iran. Could you imagine the boiled piss.

[dozer]

I feel much the same as the rest of you. Most times, i'll try to watch every game possible, even if i've got it in a corner of the screen whilst working but, this year, i'm finding it hard to give much of a shit. A lot of that is down to the timings of the games but the one thing that none of you has mentioned yet is that you can be sure as fuck that the whole thing will (and already has) the spectre of Trump hanging over it. Just watch how he tries to make it all about him and watch how Infantino sucks his cock dry throughout.

Honestly, it feels like we're just full to the brim with Trump and FIFA corruption. Can they really do anything else to prove how much of a reprehensible bunch they are? I reckon just avoid the USA games and you'll mostly avoid Trump.

Fair play though, the final could be unwatchable. Hope it's Mexico and they win it or even better, Iran. Could you imagine the boiled piss.

No one watches the US games anyway so that's not much of a sacrifice