World Cup: most Spaniards don't even know it's on unless Spain wins

Is the World Cup dead, or just on holiday?

The passion for football seems to have vanished off the map. If it weren't for the chance that Spain might get involved, many people wouldn't even know a World Cup is being played. The mood on the streets is one of total indifference: empty bars, conversations that steer clear of the subject, and a general feeling that the tournament just isn't what it used to be.

The Qatar legacy: a World Cup that killed the World Cup

For many, the previous World Cup in Qatar was the final straw. Between the corruption scandal over the vote, the exploitation of migrant workers and the absurd scheduling, the product wore itself out to the point of exhaustion. "If the World Cup isn't dead after Qatar, you must be blind," sums up the most critical view. The current format, with a long, meaningless group stage, doesn't help: matches that decide nothing, played at inconvenient hours.

The alternative: women's football and disillusionment

As men's football loses steam, some point to the rise of the women's game as the new centre of attention. But the underlying issue is different: fatigue with media overexposure and the feeling that the beautiful game has become an anaesthetic for the masses. "Let that irrational fervour die out," say those who are happy to see the bubble deflate.

The paradox is that, with Spain knocked out early, the country doesn't bat an eyelid. If the national team isn't in the running, the World Cup goes unnoticed: like a bar where nobody even realises the match has started. The ironies of sport: when the team doesn't put up a fight, the spectator couldn't care less about the spectacle.

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