In 2013, as FIFA attempted to plan for a staging of the World Cup in Brazil the following year, the association’s general secretary, Jerome Valcke, articulated some frustrations. “I will say something which is crazy, but less democracy is sometimes better for organising a World Cup,” he said. The World Cup returns to democracy next year when it will be staged in the US, Mexico and Canada but it is Donald Trump’s America which will have the greatest say. The draw for next year’s tournament – with Ireland a part of it pending the outcome of the play-off games next…

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