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Bellerin says sprawling 2026 World Cup will be hard on fans

Real Betis defender Hector Bellerin is perhaps one of the more well-versed soccer players in the world. The Spaniard is a quality player in a solid team in one of the top European leagues. However, he also has interests in a series of other ventures as well.

During his time with Premier League club Arsenal, Bellerin became a significant shareholder of Forest Green Rovers. The now League Two side is currently one of the leading teams across the continent on environmental and sustainability concerns. The defender also previously pledged to plant 3,000 trees for every Arsenal victory following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Along with environmental causes, Bellerin also freely discusses politics and social issues as well. The right-back was invited to speak at the prestigious Oxford Union in 2021. The discussion covered a plethora of notable topics. Other high-profile celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton, and Diego Maradona previously made appearances with the group.

Bellerin claims soccer is becoming more ‘elitist’ ahead of 2026 World Cup

Bellerin now recently sat down to conduct a lengthy and wide-ranging interview with BBC Sport. While he was asked a series of questions, the defender made interesting comments regarding FIFA and the 2026 World Cup. Bellerin claimed that the governing body is focusing solely on money, rather than the actual fans.

“Football every day is more about margins, about can we make more money and less about the people that support it and the people that truly make football great,” Bellerin told the news outlet.

As far as the 2026 World Cup itself, the defender does not like how spread out the tournament will be. The competition is set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. “It is becoming every day something more elitist, in my opinion, and having it in three different countries makes it more difficult for fans to follow their nation,” continued the Betis star.

“We are…


Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/bellerin-says-sprawling-2026-world-cup-will-be-hard-on-fans-20240216-WST-489901.html

Author : Chris Moore

Publish date : 2024-02-16 18:00:01

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