Global: Has Trump already ruined the mood? MEPs debate in The Ring

The World Cup is in full swing, the biggest sporting event of the year followed by millions of people worldwide. Yet, the mood is surprisingly gloomy: ticket sales and hotel bookings are disappointing, and immigration is making headlines, especially in the United States. View on euronews

The World Cup is in full swing, one of the biggest events of the year. It should unite the world, create an atmosphere of conviviality and celebration, and leave politics at the door.

Really? Two MEPs debate it in the latest edition of The Ring: the German Rasmus Andresen (Greens) and the Austrian Lukas Mandl (European People's Party).

Starting this week, the FIFA World Cup will capture the attention of millions of people worldwide. But the headlines won't be limited to the sports pages: rarely has football politics fueled as much controversy in the lead-up to this traditional event as it has this year.

It all began with the decision to award the competition for the first time to three host countries (Canada, Mexico, United States), covering half of a continent and bringing together 48 teams and more than 1,200 players.

And it continues with the explosion in ticket prices, supporter boycotts, security, Iran, Congo, Trump, racism… the list goes on.

Has the world's most popular sport finally reached the highest echelons of international politics? Is football no longer "just a sport"? And what will the future of the World Cup look like?

Or does football remain primarily a private spectacle that brings joy and entertainment to people's lives?

For Lukas Mandl, the World Cup is a celebration that must be held, regardless of the stakes and problems.

"During these few weeks, football makes the world a family. Making it political or snobbish will achieve nothing."

With this position, Mandl is on the same wavelength as the organizers.

"In our divided world, we need opportunities to come together, and the next FIFA World Cup will be a great celebration of living together," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at a UEFA congress in Brussels earlier this year.

"For the billions of people around the world (...), our responsibility is to offer them competitions, 90 minutes of play plus stoppage time, during which they can forget their worries, the problems they have at home, at work, in their countries."

But more than ever perhaps, the World Cup is plagued by political controversies, from unaffordable tickets to migration issues and accusations of racism.

But it is primarily the ticket prices that are making many fans think twice before traveling to North America for the event.

“Football must not become a playground for investors and pricing algorithms. When fans are excluded from stadiums by prices and clubs become mere assets in globalized ownership networks, we risk losing the very social and community value that makes the sport unique,” said Rasmus Andresen.

“Europe can no longer afford to remain a spectator. We need strong rules on ownership, transparency, and ticket pricing to put fans back at the heart of the game and protect football as a public good, not just a profit-making activity.”

The coming weeks will tell whether the World Cup can retain its former prestige.

The Ring is presented by Stefan Grobe, produced by Luis Albertos Altarejos and Amaia Echevarria, and edited by Vassilis Glynos.