World Cup with no Italy saddens locals
Radio-Canada asked several Italian‑Montrealers how they feel about a World Cup with no Italy team and asked which team, if any, they would support instead.
The first match is Sunday between Ecuador and host team Qatar.
dhomas 23:03 on 2022-11-19 Permalink
I’m of Italian origin (both parents born in Italy). I’m not what you would call a sports fan, but I do usually enjoy the excitement around the World Cup. That said, maybe I’m starting to pay closer attention as I get older, but FIFA as an organization seems to be getting more and more difficult to support with a clear conscience. Qatar was responsible for despicable human rights violations leading up to this World Cup, basically using slave labour to build their stadiums. The last World Cup in Russia was also questionable. The one prior in Brazil was just as bad, with the government building stadiums while people right next to them were starving.
Even if Italy had qualified, I don’t think I would watch many matches, just not to give my support to this corrupt organization and nation. For the record, I would support Canada and Portugal (my wife’s nation) for this World Cup.
Kate 10:54 on 2022-11-20 Permalink
dhomas, is your wife a keen supporter?
I remember street honking and festivities for various Portugal wins when I lived in the Plateau at the edge of the Portuguese neighbourhood, but nothing to equal the sheer exuberance in Little Italy when that team won the World Cup in 2006.
I’m not a huge fan myself. Might watch a highlights reel sometime. I don’t expect the Canada team to get very far – the team’s first outing is on Wednesday against Belgium, whose team came third in 2018, then Croatia on November 27 – and the Croatians came second that year. My ancestral teams would be Ireland (not in it – people there are more into rugby and hurling than soccer) and England, who haven’t won a cup since 1966.
Tim S. 12:44 on 2022-11-20 Permalink
I won’t jinx the Canadian team by making any predictions about results, but having watched some of the qualification games I can say they will be fun to watch. They’re also a very likeable group of personalities, a combination of humble stars and squad players getting their 15 minutes of fame.
Uatu 15:01 on 2022-11-21 Permalink
I saw a report on the construction of the stadiums on PBS. The workers were basically treated like slaves. They were working in the desert in extreme heat. The company gave them water- in the form of blocks of ice. When the workers said they couldn’t drink the water in this form the employers told them if they gave them liquid water the employees would be drinking all the time. Bullsht like this is why I can’t watch the world Cup