ANDunited states raises the curtain again on a great sporting spectacle. Giant stadiums, overturned cities, teams spread throughout the country and an organizational machinery designed to impress the world. But, a few days after the start, the perfect postcard that we all imagined begins to show cracks. Not because of the organization, but because of everything that surrounds football.
The preparation of several teams has been punctuated by incidents and setbacks ranging from warnings for poisonous snakes until immigration problems, changes of headquarters, complaints about training camps, a shooting near the England base in Kansas City and a 6.1 magnitude earthquake felt in Florida. Not all cases are equally serious, and some have been amplified with headlines that are more alarmist than accurate, but together they paint a somewhat uncomfortable reality. Organizing a World Cup in three countries, with enormous distances and such different contexts, also implies living with very complex risks.
Warnings beyond football
The most striking case is that of Swiss. The team was alerted by the presence of rattlesnakes near their training area in San Diegospecifically in an area marked as ‘snake area’ next to its facilities. The image shared by the Swiss team, a map of their training area, well summarizes a contrast that has surprised everyone.
Switzerland’s training camp during the World Cup.
Norway has also received warnings about dangerous wildlife at its concentration in North Carolinawith mentions of snakes, lizards and alligators. Again, more than an emergency, it seems a logical prevention measure for European footballers who land in a different ecosystem… that have fueled the feeling of a bubble less controlled than expected.
Iran’s logistical and political front is more serious. The Iranian team moved its base from Arizona to Tijuana (Mexico) amid tensions over visas and entry restrictions in the United States. He Department of Homeland Security He later clarified that players will be able to enter the United States the day before each game, dismantling the most extreme version that they had to enter and leave on the same day. Even so, the case remains delicate: some members of the staff had visa problems and the Iranian federation has reported obstacles for its fans. “The United States does not want Iran to stay overnight in the United States”says Claudia Sheinbaum, president of Mexico.
An incident that triggers alarms
Japanfor its part, decided directly to change its training fields in Mexico after several complaints about the state of the grass. The players found an irregular surface, with areas of dirt and conditions that were not suitable for World Cup preparation.. But the thing doesn’t end here. England has been the team associated with the most sensitive starters before the World Cup starts.
The forceful denunciation of the English legend, Ian Wright, to the World Cup: “Everything is chaos”
In Kansas Citynine people were injured in a shooting near the area where the team has its World Cup base, although Local police stressed that the incident did not occur at a World Cup venue nor in facilities directly linked to the tournament. Besides, The English team was not there at the time, but in Florida. They also felt the effects of a 6.1 magnitude earthquake recorded west of Cuba. The USGS confirmed the earthquake and described it as the strongest in the area in almost 150 yearsfelt in Cuba, Mexico and parts of Florida. There was no tsunami warning or serious damage initially reported, but the episode added another shock to a preparation already marked by media surveillance.