|
(Third column, 3rd story, link)
Related stories:
Molotovs thrown in violent clashes outside stadium...
Shakira kicks off star-studded opening ceremony...
The Man Staging Biggest Competition in History -- for Audience of One...
Drudge Report Feed needs your support! Become a Patron
|
RELATED ARTICLES | | |
|
We continue our World Cup coverage in Mexico City, where local protesters are using the global event to bring attention to their causes. A sit-in by a teachers' union is targeting World Cup festivities. And "the mothers of disappeared people have been protesting, trying to reach the stadium in the far south of the city," says José Luis Granados Ceja, who covers Latin America for Drop Site News. Meanwhile, due to high ticket prices, "the people who love this sport are not going to be able to attend the games. They have been extraordinarily inaccessible to the population," adds Granados Cejas.
|
|
The FIFA World Cup kicks off today with two games in Mexico. This will be the biggest World Cup in history, with teams from 48 countries playing over 100 games in 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States. With a new FIFA pricing system in place, tickets are significantly more expensive for this World Cup than for previous tournaments. And Trump's harsh immigration policies are having another chilling effect on the games. Out of the 39 countries under either a full or partial U.S. travel ban, four — Iran, Haiti, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal — are expected to play in the World Cup. Players from the latter three countries received visa exemptions, while the Iranian team must train in Tijuana, Mexico.
"This World Cup is shaping up to be one of extreme exclusion," says author and former professional soccer player Jules Boykoff. "Working-class fans basically have no chance of buying a ticket to these games … and you have people who have chosen not to come to the United States because they fear getting scooped up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
|
|
