The Guardian view on the blots and the glories of this World Cup

 

 "There is a paradox here. Fifa leaves Brazil as it was before it came: a bloated beast besieged by allegations of corruption and cronyism. But at its best its main "product" is an assertion of football's unifying pleasures. The last four weeks have been a reminder that there is more to football than the deadening domestic whirl of Super Sundays and transfer gossip.

In particular, the way that football's governing body imposes itself on hosts, landing like a branded spaceship for the duration and then making off with the proceeds, leaving little behind. That lopsided relationship must be recalibrated. If Fifa is to bestow its showpiece on countries with a huge disparity between rich and poor, it must do more to allow a broader cross section of society to be part of the event they are paying for. As in South Africa four years ago, the crowds were largely white and well-to-do.

The infrastructure improvements which are habitually promised as a Keynesian rationale for hosting major events lie unfinished. From highways in Natal to metro systems in Cuiabá, the half-built projects are witnesses to the discredited theory that spending billions on a sporting event is a sensible way to deliver much-needed public services. "

read more>

The Guardian view on the blots and the glories of this World Cup | Editorial | Comment is free | The Guardian