The The World Cup and the crisis of the fraternal sense of sport

Abstract

This article offers a critical reflection on the transformations taking place in major sporting events, using the World Cup as a case study in relation to the historical processes of modern sport. It argues that soccer is undergoing a structural reconfiguration that challenges the principles of the classic sporting ideal, such as fraternity, equality, and fair play. This process reflects a gradual “betrayal” of the idea of sport as a universal space for encounter. Far from functioning as a common good, this framework translates into a logic permeated by interests of commodification and economic exclusion. Historical changes, power struggles, and the marginalization of grassroots communities highlight this rupture. The text concludes that this dynamic reflects the crisis of the fraternal spirit of sport in the contemporary world.