{"text":[[{"start":5.45,"text":"The one thing uniting rival fans at this year’s World Cup, which kicked off across the US, Canada and Mexico this week, has been their frustration over how football’s greatest stage has been tainted by events off the pitch."}],[{"start":18.9,"text":"Fifa’s award of a peace prize to US President Donald Trump last year, and its extortionate pricing of most tickets, has revived longstanding criticisms of the governing body’s integrity. Even if fans manage to secure the cheapest tickets, it would still cost them close to $7,000 to follow their team to the final — that’s before accounting for the cost of travelling across North America."}],[{"start":42.25,"text":"The geopolitical backdrop has been depressing too. Many supporters from non-European qualified nations have been denied visas to the US. Even a match referee from Somalia was refused entry. This is the first World Cup where a host nation is at war with one of the participating nations — and Trump has not allowed the Iranian team to stay overnight on US soil. The three hosts are also in the midst of a fierce trade dispute."}],[{"start":66.3,"text":"For all the controversy, World Cups are ultimately about what happens on the pitch — and this year’s edition has all the ingredients to eclipse the noise happening off it."}],[{"start":76.3,"text":"First, this tournament is the largest yet. The expansion from 32 to 48 teams means more games and hopefully more goals. ESPN estimates that even under an extremely conservative scoring projection, this tournament should comfortably surpass the 200-goal mark, which would be a record."}],[{"start":95.65,"text":"More teams also means worldwide representation. Even if their fans are priced out of tickets, Curaçaoans, Cape Verdeans, Uzbekistanis and Jordanians will watch from home with pride as their nations line up in their first ever World Cup. The new format, which means third-placed teams from the initial group stages can qualify for the knockout round — and more knockout games overall — raises the exciting prospect of underdogs progressing further in the competition."}],[{"start":124,"text":"Then there are the players. This tournament will feature ageing titans Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, arguably the most gifted players of all time, and their heirs apparent, including Spain’s teenager Lamine Yamal and France’s Kylian Mbappé, a star of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — who could break retired German striker Miroslav Klose’s all-time record for goals at the tournament this year. Perhaps just as engrossing will be how established players line up against the less experienced. Indeed, Ireland-born Roberto Lopes was recruited into Cape Verde’s national team through a LinkedIn message."}],[{"start":163.05,"text":"Finally, the tournament will provide a powerful advertisement for diversity. France’s national team is so strengthened by immigration that many from Africa consider it to be their second team. For the North American hosts, the World Cup will be a window into the vibrancy of international cultures, as fans — who can afford it — travel between 16 cities. It is also an opportunity to showcase a global game to a large fan base in the US, which still mostly revels in national sports competitions, from baseball to American football. "}],[{"start":193.65,"text":"Despite the trouble behind the scenes, the beautiful game’s appeal rests on something simple and universal — its ability to confound expectation, create subplots and storylines, and, above all, entertain. This is what gives the World Cup its enduring power, whatever the politics may be. "}],[{"start":210.55,"text":"With its scale, breadth of talent and scope for serendipity, this tournament has every chance of being the most compelling yet. And if England managed to win its first major international trophy since 1966 and end “60 years of hurt” — it would be even sweeter."}],[{"start":234.35000000000002,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1781370053_7607.mp3"}