I attended my first World Cup in 1990 along with my club soccer teammates. We almost didn’t get to one match in Milan. The road to the stadium was not quite finished, so we, and many other fans, had to walk a half mile or so to the San Siro Stadium. “Calamitoso” is the Italian word I would apply. Nevertheless, we reached our seats and enjoyed the match and the rest of a great tournament, won by West Germany. Such is the World Cup, which began this week in the United States, Mexico and Canada, contested by 48 countries playing 104 matches over 39 days. Soccer fans are willing to endure just about anything for the privilege of watching their national footballing heroes in the ultimate competition. And it’s genuinely worth the trip. As I wrote in my Opinion essay this week, my experience covering World Cups in places like Germany, South Africa and France has made me a believer in the power of sports, particularly this one. Elsewhere in Opinion, three writers — one American, one Mexican and one Canadian — share their feelings about the Cup, including co-hosting in the midst of such a tense time in North America. Throughout World Cup history, there have been controversies, infrastructure problems, political intrigue and violence. This year offers an overload of controversy off the field: The United States is supposed to be hosting Iran, a nation that we currently are (or are not) at war with depending on whom you ask at the White House. Amid a tournament that glorifies global sporting good will, the Trump administration remains hostile to people who are not American, which is to say so many people who are coming here — if they can get here. And for those trying to make the trek to MetLife stadium in New Jersey for matches — including the July 19 final — Alex Wolfe made the journey on foot from New York City. FIFA, soccer’s governing body, has reinforced its sordid reputation as a greed-first, fans-second outfit that has used dynamic pricing to jack up ticket prices. The nonsense created by FIFA and Trump and a chorus of soccer haters who always show up around this time is not going to stop the joy of watching Spain play like an orchestra, or stars such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo make what will likely be their final appearances on the global stage. What makes this tournament worthwhile is that it subsumes the brazen money grabs and geopolitics. It singularly unites fans who are cheering from living rooms, pubs and stadiums in all corners of the globe. Count me in. We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you’re in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times.
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