Spain’s image also triumphed at a deeply political World Cup | OneFootball

Spain lifted the World Cup on 19 July, yet the 39-day tournament doubled as a political showcase. El Periódico Mediterráneo highlights a Lamine Yamal mural in Gaza as emblematic.

With 48 teams and 104 matches, it opened new markets and swelled audiences to an estimated 5,500 million, deepening FIFA’s commercial reach.

United States, Mexico and Canada co-hosted, promoting North American unity while tensions lingered. The Mexican president and Canada’s prime minister skipped the opener and attended only the finale.

The United States became the main stage. Donald Trump cultivated ties with FIFA’s Gianni Infantino and welcomed the trophy to the White House, while his intervention over Folarin Balogun’s ban, later withdrawn, fuelled interference claims.

It underlined football’s central tension. FIFA says it is autonomous but depends on governments, visas, infrastructure, security and private capital, and US weight plus Infantino’s ventures unsettled Europe over control of rights and sponsorships.

Geopolitics bit elsewhere, with visa limits hampering Iran’s delegation amid confrontation between Washington and Tehran, and Russia excluded after invading Ukraine, exposing the limits of neutrality.

Spain’s champions projected a collective, diverse idea that resonated at home, with clear style, measured celebration and fans singing Un beso y una flor. Symbolism also filled the stands, from Yamal’s Gaza mural to Michel Kuka Mboladinga’s Patrice Lumumba homage.

The contest will continue, with 2030 featuring Morocco as a key actor and US ally, and 2034 in Saudi Arabia, confirming football’s role as soft power.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”