World Cup 2022: We Own The Game But We’re Letting FIFA Borrow It
by Ken Schreiner
Where and when will the biggest football match of the year be played? Qatar, December 18? No, November 4 in Duluth, Minnesota. Why not the World Cup 2022 final that will feature Messi, Ronaldo, or the other hugest names in the soccer world? Because the Duluth tilt will be the latest to include the most important player alive: Me.
Is it because, at 68, I’m among the galaxy’s oldest, active booters? Is it my stunning, inspirational comeback after almost getting killed during a match in 1980? Or because my free kicks strike fear into opponents and fans alike — not due to their power but because of their potentially fatal inaccuracy? Again, no. It’s something larger and more singular.
But what could be larger and more singular than the World Cup? 1) The game of football itself and 2) A person who plays it — in this case, Ken Schreiner of Duluth, Minnesota. November 4 is the final game of the season for me and my teammates, who are, of course, fellow owners. Afterwards, it will be sad to box up the boots and balls for the next few months. But if the temperature breaks 30 in January, we may light up the TeamSnap thread, organize an impromptu match, and reassert our dominion over the game we love and, as we all now know, own.
