This opinion from Ingo Mannteufel of Deutsche Welle strikes me as amusingly naive, but given that so many Russian football fans are ecstatic over the news of the 2018 World Cup, I think it’s OK to indulge in a few moments of fantasy that this sporting event will also bolster democracy, human rights, and anti-corruption efforts.  Frankly, we should just let sport be for the people and politics for the politicians, as these aren’t even areas where FIFA’s endorsement should be seen as positive….

Nevertheless the decision by FIFA to hold the World Cup, for the first time in its history, in Eastern Europe is a good one. The World Cup is a massive celebration of sports fans in a “global village.” It’s not just the opportunity for cultural exchange. Rather it actually forces the host nation and its international guests to get to know each other. Hundreds of thousands of fans will stream into Eastern Europe and especially Russia in the next decade to discover this part of Europe for themselves. In 2012 the European Championship is to be held in Poland and Ukraine; in 2014 the Winter Olympics are in Sochi and now in 2018 the World Cup will be held in 13 Russian cities that most people in Europe have never heard of. Who in western Europe has heard of Saransk or Yaroslavl?