The Game Belongs to The People

The world’s game was created by the people, is played by the people, and is supported by the people. The simplicity of the game allows kids across the world to fall in love with kicking a ball and running with their friends, making it by far the most played sport in the world. It is also the most watched sport in the world, as millions of people go to their local stadiums every week to watch their team, and innumerable more watch from afar. During the COVID seasons, we saw the effect fans have, as matches played in empty stadiums lacked the passion, energy, and excitement that makes the game special. 

As lovers of this game, hosting the World Cup in our home city is a momentous and once in a lifetime occasion, a dream come true for people for whom this sport is a massive part of our lives. And yet, for many of us this tournament is inaccessible or undesirable due to ticket price gouging beyond any other soccer event in history, FIFA’s demands on the city and tax payers, fears of security for immigrants, refugees, and traveling supporters, and a political tension ignited by the alignment of FIFA’s leaders and certain governments. As greed and corruption have tainted the sport at the highest levels, it feels like the game is owned more and more by the billionaires, corporate entities, and powerful elite. 

This display is a reminder that while we celebrate the World’s Game coming to Seattle we, the people, are the real owners of the game and we have the power to take it back.

Photo by Mrs_Seam