The Business and Impact of Football

In 2006, I had my first trip to Europe, and the pleasure of watching 3 world cup football matches live and in real life.

Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the first time and were at the time the smallest country to ever qualify, with its 1.2 million population, a title it has now lost, but that's not the point :).

That world cup took place in Germany, and I was so utterly impressed with everything. We paid Euro 350 for a train ticket that allowed us to go wherever we wanted in Germany for a month. It also reduced fares for travel to neighbouring countries like France or The Netherlands.

We stayed in Frankfurt and commuted without hiccups to 3 games, vs Sweden, England and Paraguay, in Dortmund, Kaiserslautern, and Nuremberg.

We drew in the first match. This surpassed our expectations. we were ecstatic. To our surprise the Swedish fans also partied with us after the match in the square in Dortmund, where Trinidadian Soca artists performed. It was such a rich experience to share cultures.

I can't describe the pride I felt, watching my countrymen outperform, and my other country folk celebrate all over Germany, and as it turns out Amsterdam too - it seems all of the Trinidadians who travelled to Germany for the world cup also travelled to Amsterdam on the very same weekend as each other; it was like a reunion everywhere! I knew so many people.

The relationship amongst the fans (regardless of country) was the most amazing social experience ever.

There is no doubt in my mind that Football and specifically the world cup, brings people together the way little else can.

Small businesses all over Germany and the Netherlands thrived. We travelled, ate, drank, shopped, partied, waved our flags, and revelled with other passionate football fans.

As much pride as I felt on this day, it's hard to ignore everything else that happens when something so big is allowed to go so out of control and be abused by those who should be its caretakers.

As it turns out, I owe my incredible world cup experiences to allegedly behind the scenes wheeling and dealing by Jack Warner. All Trinidadians making the trip had seats for the matches guaranteed. That we qualified at all was a stroke of playoff genius that had us pitted against Bahrain, a match we won, all orchestrated by the now infamous Jack.

As the stories began to break, and as the Netflix documentary FIFA Uncovered points out, there has been a culture of corruption thriving deep within the structures of football for a long, long, time.

What's more, Qatar has been stained not only with allegations of corruption but allegations of serious human rights abuses also.

Today I know better. Both about the beauty of the game, and the experience of being there, and it's dark and horrendous underbelly.

I will not be going to the world cup in Qatar, but I will likely watch a few matches on TV.

I will not be celebrating any posts about the world cup, unless it relates to activism for change.

I will also not be posting anything about any matches or celebrating any wins publicly - although privately there are a few teams I would like to see succeed.

This is a beautiful game, and more of the world should enjoy it, but to let Machiavellian processes continue, is not helping, but only brining more harm.

e can do better. The world can do better. FIFA can most certainly, do better.