FIFA World Cup 2026: Durable themes in troubled times

The FIFA World Cup, an event that ignites global passion on an unparalleled scale, is set to commence on June 11. While Nigeria will not compete, its musician Burna Boy is slated to headline the opening ceremony in a duet with Colombian superstar Shakira. This year's tournament, jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, marks the second time the World Cup will be shared among multiple hosts, following South Korea and Japan in 2002. The event unfolds against a backdrop of profound global uncertainty and serious questions surrounding international peace and security, offering a potential showcase for coexistence amid global fragility.

The World Cup's history is interwoven with political undertones. The inaugural 1930 tournament in Uruguay, held during the Great Depression, carried an anti-colonial subtext, with the Estadio Centenario built to commemorate Uruguay's independence. Spain notably abstained from participating. In 1934, Italy's ruler Benito Mussolini transformed the event into a platform for fascist propaganda, with political maneuvering contributing to Italy's victory. This pattern continued in 1938, when Italy retained the title shortly after Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany, a period coinciding with the ascendance of Hitler's National Socialism and Mussolini's fascism. Fourteen months after Italy's 1938 win, Germany invaded Poland, signaling the onset of World War II.

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Whether it will leave any lasting legacies on the major questions facing our world today will be debated long after a winner is settled on 19 July. For 39 days, meanwhile, the world can take a break.