Colin Sheridan: Where is the outrage about the 2026 World Cup?

The Olympic Games have been boycotted for much, much less than America’s murderous partnership with Israel.

Palestinians inspect the rubble of a structure hit by an Israeli bombardment in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Pic: AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana

Indulge me. Imagine the Kerry footballers travelled up to Galway yesterday against the backdrop of the Tribesmen committing a genocide in neighboring Mayo. Imagine that Galway militias, directed by their local government, had slaughtered roughly 5% of the population of the Heather County (about 7,000 people), and forcibly displaced practically all of them. Imagine that its army and their generals had made no secret of their war crimes, even doubled down by publicly expressing their desire to eradicate everybody from Ballindine to Ballycroy off the face of the earth. Imagine that we all saw the images of towns and villages being destroyed, of babies' mangled bodies being picked up and put into plastic bags by traumatised parents. Imagine they targeted Mayo’s writers, poets and artists for their dissent, killing them, then posting about it. Local press, too. Mayo News journalists. Western People. Connaught Telegraph. Each day, another targeted and killed for having the temerity to pull on their press vests and report to the world what's happening. Imagine all of that, then imagine 10,000 people in Salthill watching the Galway footballers - many of whom had served in these militias - play Kerry in the National League.

If that example is much too absurd for you (and it really is absurd), just pop across the Irish sea. Apply the same formula to England invading Scotland, killing over 100,000 of its people, wiping its towns and villages off the map. Imagine the scotch distilleries being bombed and Celtic Park collapsing under aerial bombardment, all on live television. Imagine explosives being planted in Edinburgh Castle, and some English soldiers posting a video to Tik Tok of them detonating the cultural landmark, dancing a wee Scottish jig as the castle walls crumble in the background. Imagine, as all of this is going on, Wembley is packed to watch England play Latvia in a World Cup Qualifier, and that English team was made up of players who had willingly served in their murderous army and continue to openly express support for their Genocidal campaign in the highlands.