Before I moved to Barcelona in my twenties, I thought football was for savages. Eduardo Galeano gave me a whole new perspective (if you haven't read "El Fútbol a Sol y Sombra", do it today), which took flesh the first time I went to a football match. The first shock was going down the metro: no savages, just full of culers, families with packed sandwiches heading for the Camp Nou. Felt more like going to a concert, where the only song played was "Tot el camp. És un clam".

I became a football fan in the days of Figo, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham, Roberto Carlos. And since then I've enjoyed watching the Mundial in different countries, even though just on TV. Summer time, jasmine-scented nights, people looking at others kicking a ball. Which is how I'll spend it this year, even though I'll miss most matches, no way I'm staying up at 2am.

What I love most about the Mundial is the way it crams the whole world into one room. It's what Barça fans mean by "tant se val d'on venim", blown up to the size of the planet. I'll leave you with a piece in today's NYT which says it all so beautifully.

"Is there a game you’re most looking forward to?
Brazil against Scotland in Miami. Miami is full of Latin Americans who will be rooting for Brazil. There are so many Brazilians living there. Scotland hasn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1998. And Scottish fans are the most incredible group to follow. They drink whichever city they’re in dry, but they do so humorously, and they’re known to be so popular with locals that when they leave, there is often a longing for them to return. Put those Scots in their dark blue shirts together with those Brazilians in the canary yellow, and you have a classic World Cup match."

11 June 2026