Forgive me if I’m not excited for the World Cup. After a heartbreaking loss for my beloved Arsenal in the Champions League Final, I’d love a break from soccer. A respite from the drama and misery of the beautiful game would do a lot of good for my soul right now. But Fifa, the sport’s sprawling governing body, doesn’t have time for me to lick my wounds. They demand my wallet.

With the World Cup coming to North America, I have no chance of escaping the monstrous hype, even if I can’t even imagine affording the exorbitant ticket prices. Thousands of seats remain available for the US’s opening group stage match against Paraguay in Los Angeles, which was an unthinkable result when the competition was awarded to the US, Mexico and Canada.

The last time the World Cup was hosted here was 1994, a time when soccer was about as popular as a free colonoscopy in this part of the world. Actually, considering the cost of healthcare in this country, the free colonoscopy might have had the advantage. Since 1994, the sport has claimed more than its share of eyeballs, thanks to cable TV, streaming and the global village we call the internet.

The creation and expansion of a US/Canadian professional league called Major League Soccer (MLS) didn’t hurt either. We welcomed top class players at the end of their careers: Robbie........

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