Politics no stranger to World Cup, Men in Blazers' Roger Bennett says

Politics at the World Cup is "nothing new," Men in Blazers Media Network founder and CEO Roger Bennett said, arguing that the tournament has long been a stage where national history, culture and conflict travel with the teams onto the field.

Bennett, author of the new book "We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event," said he wrote it with the upcoming World Cup in mind, when the men's tournament returns to North America for the first time since 1994 and expands to a record 48 teams across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

"The joy of the World Cup is that when two teams take the field, the nation's histories, the nation's politics, the nation's cultures take the field alongside them," Bennett told Reuters.

It remains to be seen whether Iran takes the field in June for its group stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle amid U.S. and Israeli air strikes against Tehran.

Iran's sports minister has said that it was not possible for his nation's ​athletes to participate. An official withdrawal by Iran from the event, ‌which has ⁠not yet happened, would be a first in the modern era.

UK-born Bennett said the geopolitical tension around Iran would not be unprecedented in World Cup history.

He recalled the U.S. playing Iran at the 1998 World Cup in France amid lingering hostility from the 1979 hostage crisis, saying many Americans tuned in less for the sport than for symbolism.

Bennett described the United States' 2-1 defeat as a bruising moment for a men's program after American fans tuned in in the hopes of seeing their team "open up a can of whoop-ass on their nation's greatest enemy."

"That loss probably set football back 20 years," in the U.S., Bennett said.

Bennett said pre-tournament anxiety about geopolitics and security has become part of the World Cup's modern rhythm, citing past fears ahead of South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014 that were later overtaken by the tournaments themselves.

World Cups, he said, remain "a mirror to the world that surrounds it," even when the reflection is uncomfortable.

LIFE THROUGH SPORT

Bennett's book frames his own life through the sport, stretching from his arrival in the United States in the early 1990s - when he said soccer was viewed as a fringe interest - toward what he expects will be a mass American audience in 2026.

He said he hopes the book will serve both longtime fans and newcomers: rekindling memories of eras and icons while equipping first-time viewers to "savour" the tournament's scale and intensity.

While 2026 will be the largest World Cup ever staged, Bennett said format changes are part of the tournament's history.

He acknowledged the logistical challenges posed by the tri-nation footprint and expanded number of teams, but said he expects the tournament to generate the same kind of "profound multi-generational memories" he associates with past editions.

FAVOURITES HAIL FROM EUROPE

On favourites, Bennett said the eventual champion is likely to come from a familiar set of contenders, emphasising cohesion over celebrity.

Spain, he said, are "ferociously creative" and "gel together collectively". France also fit the profile, he added. England, whom he likened to "Sisyphus in cleats," remain close to the summit in his view.

As a dark horse, Bennett picked Norway, citing their hunger to return to the tournament and the presence of striker Erling Haaland, whom he described in mythical terms for his scoring feats.

Bennett said he remains emotionally invested in the U.S. team, but expects Europe's elite to set the benchmark as the world prepares for a 39-day tournament that carries far more than sport onto the pitch.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, editing by Pritha Sarkar)