The World Cup’s two competing realities: brilliant action and off-field injustices | Jonathan Wilson

T he football has taken over. Ultimately, that’s what always happens. Football is an incredibly resilient sport, the World Cup an incredibly resilient tournament. It has withstood authoritarian leaders and corruption scandals, the horrific exploitation of migrant workers and military dictatorships, and it looks as though it will survive sky-high ticket prices and immigration policies that make a mockery of Gianni Infantino’s claim that this is the most inclusive World Cup of all time. This is not to say that those are not major issues. The situation with Iran has been unique, but the treatment of the team has been outrageous . That they could pass through the tournament unbeaten, eliminated only because of a last-gasp Austria goal against Algeria, is remarkable enough in itself, but they could surely have achieved far more had they not had to switch training camps, been allowed their full backroom staff and been able to travel to games without punitive restrictions. The struggles of others to get visas has also soured the tournament, with reports that both the US and Canada rejected more than 80% of applications from certain countries. The World Cup is supposed to be for the world. Fans and journalists not being able to travel undermines that. Senegal’s official photographer couldn’t enter Canada. DR Congo’s most recognisable fan, Michel Nkuka Mboladinga , has only been able to go to a game in Mexico. …