I'm not that into soccer, but I sometimes watch some of the World Cup. This one is controversial in various ways. Hosting it in a country that has never qualified and does not have much of a soccer scene seems weird for a start. I'm sure it was all about money, but isn't the sport pretty rich anyway? Then there's all the alleged deaths of construction workers who are poorly paid. That is not good for the image.

There would have been long negotiations between the hosts and sponsors, so changing the rules at the last minute seems strange. Did you hear that a beer would cost £12/$14 there? It would be expensive to get drunk.

I feel for the fans and the players who just want to play for their country. This is all a distraction from the sport.