Photo: Hannah McKay/REUTERS
Photo: Hannah McKay/REUTERS

Culture

The Absurd World Cup

FIFA’s president calls football a great unifier, but is it a match for the chaos of 2026?

First published in The Atlantic on June 7, 2026.

by Chris Jones, The Atlantic
June 25, 2026 | reading time: 14 Min.

It’s hard to imagine a more fraught combination for what was supposed to be a fun Friday night: Seattle’s Pride celebration will feature a World Cup match on June 26 between Iran, where homosexuality is punishable by death, and Egypt, where homosexual activity is punishable by up to three years in prison.  

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