Saturday on the Scene: Long Game

Saturday on the Scene [Long Game]週六現場【Long Game】

由加拿大、美國與墨西哥聯合主辦的2026年FIFA男子世界盃足球賽即將展開，擴編的48隊會內賽，理念上該是更貼近全民的賽事，龐大的參賽國數目與人流，也直接嵌入比賽的敘事語境中。但親自見證世界盃的高昂代價、國際衝突、猛爆的致命病毒，都讓這場全球派對蒙上陰影。

The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, jointly hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico, is about to begin. In principle, the expanded 48-team finals should be a tournament closer to everyone; the sheer number of participating nations and the movement of people are written directly into the narrative grammar of the competition. Yet the steep cost of witnessing the World Cup in person, international conflict, and a sudden deadly virus have all cast shadows over this global party.

伊波拉病毒的爆發讓3個主辦國針對剛果民主共和國、南蘇丹與烏干達等非洲國家，實施嚴格程度不等的隔離與旅遊禁令。這麼一來，好不容易透過洲際附加賽擊敗牙買加的剛果民主共和國，在比賽還沒開始前就面臨入境的挑戰。小組賽賽程分散在美國休士頓、亞特蘭大與墨西哥瓜達拉哈拉（Guadalajara），白宮世界盃工作小組執行主任朱利安尼（Andrew Giuliani）已經宣布，代表團必須在目前位於比利時的訓練地點維持「防疫泡泡」，並隔離21天，否則可能面臨被拒絕入境的風險。

The outbreak of Ebola has led the three host countries to impose quarantine and travel bans of varying severity on African countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda. As a result, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which had fought its way past Jamaica through the intercontinental playoffs, now faces an entry challenge before the tournament has even begun. Its group-stage matches are scattered across Houston, Atlanta, and Guadalajara, Mexico. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup Task Force, has announced that the delegation must maintain a "public-health bubble" at its current training site in Belgium and undergo 21 days of quarantine, or else risk being denied entry.

在COVID-19的教訓之後，超大型賽事的防疫工作可是馬虎不得，但在美墨兩國、3個城市間的移動，多少也增加病毒傳遞的風險。而剛果民主共和國的球迷，就算已經買到門票，由於美國駐該國大使館已經暫停核發簽證，取得第一場與第三場門票的球迷也僅能要求退票，連該國足協都已經出面為球迷請命，但FIFA至今仍未許可這樣看似極為合理的要求，難怪招致「不近人情」的批評。而墨西哥相對較寬鬆的入境防疫規定，也可能使得剛果民主共和國的球迷轉向分組賽第二場的比賽。防疫入境標準不一，也是FIFA在擴大賽事規模並由多國聯辦下始料未及的情況。

After the lessons of COVID-19, disease prevention at a mega-event cannot be handled carelessly. But travel among the United States and Mexico, across three cities, inevitably increases the risk of viral transmission. Fans from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, even if they have already bought tickets, can only request refunds for tickets to the first and third matches because the U.S. embassy in the country has suspended visa issuance. Even the country's football association has come forward to plead on behalf of its fans, yet FIFA still has not approved what seems an entirely reasonable request, drawing understandable criticism for being inhumane. Mexico's comparatively looser entry and disease-control rules may also lead Congolese fans to turn instead to the second group-stage match. Inconsistent entry standards for public health are another circumstance FIFA did not foresee when expanding the tournament and assigning it to multiple host nations.

除了病毒之外，美國自從川普（Donald Trump）二度就任美國總統以來的入境緊縮政策，也成為許多來自非洲國家人民的入境障礙。在「簽證保證金試辦計畫」（Visa Bond Pilot Program）下，打進會內賽的國家包括阿爾及利亞（Algeria）、塞內加爾（Senegal）、象牙海岸（Cote D'Ivoire）、突尼西亞（Tunisia）與維德角（Cabo Verde）的人民，若以旅遊簽證入境，將面臨可能需要繳交高達15,000美元（約新台幣47.3萬元）保證金的入境障礙。

Beyond the virus, the tightening of U.S. entry policy since Donald Trump took office for a second time has also become an obstacle for many people from African countries. Under the Visa Bond Pilot Program, citizens of countries that have reached the finals, including Algeria, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Tunisia, and Cabo Verde, may face the barrier of having to post a bond of as much as US$15,000, around NT$473,000, if entering on a tourist visa.

非洲之外，自2月美國與以色列聯手空襲伊朗，並造成最高領袖哈米尼（Ayatollah Ali Khamenei）死亡之後，伊朗能否順利入境美國參賽，就已經成為眾所矚目的話題。伊朗所分在的G組，3場分組賽事分別在美國洛杉磯與西雅圖進行，但他們未免增加不必要的困擾，已將訓練基地從亞利桑那移至墨西哥的蒂華納（Tijuana），但台灣時間6月16日上午9點鐘，是否能如期出戰紐西蘭，現在誰都還無法打包票。

Outside Africa, since the United States and Israel jointly launched airstrikes on Iran in February, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whether Iran can enter the United States smoothly to compete has become a matter of intense public attention. Iran has been drawn into Group G, with its three group matches to be played in Los Angeles and Seattle. To avoid adding unnecessary complications, the team has already moved its training base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico. But whether it can take the field as scheduled against New Zealand at 9 a.m. Taiwan time on June 16 is something no one can yet guarantee.

若伊朗最終因戰爭、制裁或入境限制而無法參賽，這將重新喚起世界盃史上一段並不常見的混亂記憶──第3屆、也就是1938年法國世界盃，奧地利因遭德國入侵並最終被併吞而無法參賽，甚至有部分球員納編進入德國隊陣容。

If Iran is ultimately unable to participate because of war, sanctions, or entry restrictions, it will revive a rare and chaotic memory from World Cup history: at the third tournament, the 1938 World Cup in France, Austria was unable to compete after being invaded and ultimately annexed by Germany; some of its players were even incorporated into the German squad.

隨後因第二次世界大戰而中斷12年的世界盃，雖然於1950年在巴西復辦，但依舊受到戰後世界秩序重整以及經濟衝擊影響，因而顯得十分混亂。已取得會內賽資格的16支隊伍中，一開始就有蘇格蘭與土耳其棄賽，後來即便完成抽籤，印度與法國也相繼退賽，使得該屆賽事最終僅有13國與會。

The World Cup was then interrupted for 12 years by the Second World War. Although it resumed in Brazil in 1950, it was still shaped by the postwar reordering of the world and by economic shocks, and so appeared deeply chaotic. Of the 16 teams that had qualified for the finals, Scotland and Turkey withdrew at the outset; even after the draw was completed, India and France withdrew one after the other, leaving only 13 countries at the tournament in the end.

撇除二戰前以及戰後初期混亂的兩屆世界盃，後續各屆參賽情況漸趨常態化。會內賽16隊的規模於1982年西班牙世界盃擴編到24隊，1998年法國世界盃擴編到32隊，再於本屆擴編到48隊，也讓非洲的維德角、加勒比海的庫拉索、以及亞洲的約旦與烏茲別克，得以首度於會內賽亮相。

Leaving aside the two chaotic World Cups before and immediately after the Second World War, subsequent tournaments gradually normalized. The 16-team finals expanded to 24 teams at the 1982 World Cup in Spain, then to 32 at the 1998 World Cup in France, and now to 48 at this edition, allowing Cabo Verde from Africa, Curacao from the Caribbean, and Jordan and Uzbekistan from Asia to make their first appearances at the finals.

48隊的規模，由北美3國承辦是再合理不過的，16座城市裡的球場，個個都已經是足具水準的場館，不需要再為這超大型賽會（mega-event）進行大規模工程，最大的工程就是將其中8座球場的人工草皮換上天然草皮，以符合國際足總對於場地的要求而已，如此可避免再大興土木帶來環境永續的衝擊。然而，回顧歷屆奧運或是世界盃等超大型賽事，只要美國是主辦國，留給後世的文化遺產，就是不斷將運動商業化的進程往前更推一大步。

A 48-team tournament could hardly have a more reasonable host than the three countries of North America. The stadiums in the 16 cities are all already venues of ample quality; no large-scale construction is needed for this mega-event. The biggest project is merely replacing the artificial turf in eight of the stadiums with natural grass, in order to meet FIFA's requirements for the playing surface. This avoids the environmental and sustainability impact of another wave of grand construction. Yet looking back at mega-events such as the Olympics and the World Cup, whenever the United States is the host, the cultural legacy left to posterity is another great step forward in the commercialization of sport.

1932年，儘管全球仍在經濟大恐慌的陰影下，但洛杉磯奧運首次有系統地將奧運五環標誌授權給特定企業進行宣傳，開啟了奧運行銷的里程碑：可口可樂延續並擴大了在1928年阿姆斯特丹奧運贊助的規模，歐米茄（Omega）則成了史上首個官方計時夥伴；1984年，洛杉磯再次在冷戰下舉辦奧運，在奧組委主席尤伯羅斯（Peter Ueberroth）領導下，讓「現代奧運商業化」進入新的境界，啟發了後續奧運頂級贊助夥伴「TOP（The Olympic Partners）計畫」模式，甚至連神聖的聖火傳遞都可以販售，只要捐3,000美元（約新台幣95,000元），就可以傳遞聖火1公里，這極大化商業利益的操作，後來在歐洲諸國的強烈抗議下，將募得的1,100萬美元（約新台幣3.5億元）所得轉做公益捐助，方才杜悠悠眾口。

In 1932, even as the world remained under the shadow of the Great Depression, the Los Angeles Olympics systematically licensed the Olympic rings to selected companies for promotional use for the first time, opening a milestone in Olympic marketing. Coca-Cola continued and expanded the scale of its sponsorship from the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, while Omega became the first official timekeeping partner in history. In 1984, Los Angeles again hosted the Olympics, this time under the Cold War. Under the leadership of organizing committee chairman Peter Ueberroth, the "commercialization of the modern Olympics" entered a new realm, inspiring the later model of the Olympic TOP, or The Olympic Partners, program. Even the sacred torch relay could be sold: anyone who donated US$3,000, around NT$95,000, could carry the flame for one kilometer. This operation, designed to maximize commercial benefit, later drew fierce protests from European countries. Only after the US$11 million, around NT$350 million, that had been raised was redirected to charitable donations did the outcry finally subside.

1994年，也就是美國上一次舉辦世界盃時，當時美國足球風氣遠不如現在，但國際足總堅持將世界盃帶入美國，以開拓這廣大的市場，開閉幕的盛大表演，也正式將美式娛樂帶入世界盃。

In 1994, the last time the United States hosted the World Cup, the country's football culture was far weaker than it is now. But FIFA insisted on bringing the World Cup to the United States in order to develop this vast market, and the grand opening and closing ceremonies formally introduced American-style entertainment into the World Cup.

今年（2026）世界盃門票採取動態票價（Dynamic Pricing），以「需求」決定出了天價門票，加上連聯絡球場的大眾運輸都可以跟著「動態」，已完全將一般民眾屏除在現場觀戰的可能。而一向神聖的中場時間，有了去年FIFA世界俱樂部盃（FIFA Club World Cup）中場秀由酷玩樂團（Coldplay）掛頭牌的表演試水溫之後，本屆世界盃決賽，也首度引入類似國家美式足球聯盟超級盃（NFL Super Bowl）模式的中場表演， 將有瑪丹娜（Madonna）、夏奇拉（Shakira）與防彈少年團（BTS）共同演出。但世界俱樂部盃中場還是在觀眾席上層搭建小型舞台，今年世界盃則是「侵門踏戶」，將在中場搭起華麗舞台，如此一來，下半場的草皮狀況是否會讓比賽發生意想不到的轉折？被拉長的中場休息時間，是否也會進而影響兩隊調度而決定比賽結果？

This year's 2026 World Cup uses dynamic pricing for tickets, allowing "demand" to determine sky-high prices. Add to this the fact that even public transportation linking to the stadiums can become "dynamic," and the possibility of ordinary people watching matches in person has been entirely shut out. The once-sacred halftime has already tested the waters, with Coldplay headlining the halftime show at last year's FIFA Club World Cup. This World Cup final will, for the first time, introduce a halftime performance modeled on the NFL Super Bowl, featuring Madonna, Shakira, and BTS together. But the Club World Cup halftime show still used a small stage built in the upper tier of the stands. This year's World Cup will instead enter the field itself, building a lavish stage at halftime. Will the condition of the grass in the second half produce an unexpected turn in the match? Will the lengthened halftime break in turn affect the two teams' tactical adjustments and decide the result?

美國運動商品化不斷試圖滲入這美麗的比賽中，運動球員卡紀念品龍頭Fanatics/Topps的版圖也擴張到了世界盃裡，儘管Panini公司與FIFA的世界盃球員卡合約在2030年後才屆滿，但是Topps已經搶先公告獲得自2031年起FIFA更全面的授權。

The commodification of American sport keeps trying to seep into the beautiful game. Fanatics/Topps, the leading name in sports trading-card memorabilia, has also expanded its territory into the World Cup. Although Panini's World Cup trading-card contract with FIFA does not expire until after 2030, Topps has already announced that it has obtained a more comprehensive FIFA license beginning in 2031.

這一屆世界盃的轉播中，大家就可以看到在世界盃初登場的球員身上繡著由Topps設計的Debut（首秀）貼章。也就是說，雖然Topps不能在2026年和2030年發行帶有官方版權的世界盃球員卡，但合約中卻允許他們執行並未涵蓋在Panini合約中的「球員球衣貼章計畫」（Player Jersey Patch Program）。這麼一來，這些在2026年與2030年收集、認證好的實戰貼章，在2031年Topps合約生效時，反倒成為獨一無二的珍稀文物。對於Panini來說，如同眼睜睜看著自家耕耘的作物被別人收割入倉，卻只能徒呼負負，5年後讓Topps再開倉大賺一筆。這一套新人卡、初登場的操作在北美運動中大行其道，如今，他們也希望將這模式複製到全世界最大的運動舞台上，成效會是如何？隨著各式球員卡、收藏卡市場的狂飆，不難想見其威力。

In the broadcasts of this World Cup, viewers will be able to see players making their World Cup debuts wearing a Debut patch designed by Topps. In other words, although Topps cannot issue officially licensed World Cup trading cards in 2026 or 2030, the contract allows it to carry out a Player Jersey Patch Program not covered by Panini's agreement. As a result, these match-worn patches collected and authenticated in 2026 and 2030 will become unique and rare artifacts once Topps's contract takes effect in 2031. For Panini, it is like watching helplessly as crops it cultivated are harvested and stored away by someone else, able only to lament in vain, before Topps opens the granary five years later and makes another fortune. This set of operations around rookie cards and debut appearances is all the rage in North American sports. Now they hope to replicate the model on the world's biggest sporting stage. How effective will it be? Given the soaring markets for every kind of player card and collectible card, its power is not hard to imagine.

不論是賽事娛樂化或是拜物的商品邏輯，資本主義下追求利潤極大化的美國運動文化，看似可以再次乘著世界盃的浪潮席捲世界，但是英國人卻有不一樣的想法。中場表演？對不起，英國《BBC》與《ITV》的無線電視轉播，依舊守著傳統，以球評分析上半場賽事來串場；不過，這也不代表英國就能獨自守住足球世界最後的「純潔」，也許只是暫時守住「老派」觀賽的浪漫，但屬於年輕人的串流平台上，仍舊有著美式中場娛樂的轉播。

Whether through the entertainmentization of the tournament or the commodity logic of fetish objects, American sports culture under capitalism, with its pursuit of maximal profit, seems poised once again to ride the wave of the World Cup and sweep across the world. But the British have other ideas. A halftime show? Sorry: the BBC and ITV's free-to-air broadcasts in Britain will still hold to tradition, using pundit analysis of the first half to bridge the interval. This does not mean, however, that Britain alone can preserve the last "purity" of the football world. Perhaps it is merely preserving, for the moment, the romance of an old-fashioned way of watching; on the streaming platforms that belong to younger viewers, American-style halftime entertainment will still be broadcast.

當球衣上的貼章被預約成未來的收藏商品，當門票價格、簽證制度、防疫標準與地緣政治，先一步決定誰能在場內外成為世界盃的一部分，2026年世界盃便不再只是競技場上的盛會，而是當代世界秩序的縮影。這或許會是史上規模最大、表演最熱鬧、也最充滿商機的一屆，但與此同時，它也把當代世界的裂縫一併帶進球場。伊波拉病毒讓邊界重新變得厚重，戰爭讓國家代表不一定能實現他們掙來的出賽權，大企業排山倒海而來的錢潮，則將一般球迷一波波推離球場。

When the patches on jerseys are preordained as future collectibles, and when ticket prices, visa systems, disease-control standards, and geopolitics have already decided who can become part of the World Cup inside and outside the stadium, the 2026 World Cup is no longer merely a grand event on the field of competition. It is a miniature of the contemporary world order. This may be the largest, liveliest, and most commercially fertile World Cup in history, but at the same time it brings the fissures of the contemporary world into the stadium with it. Ebola makes borders heavy again; war means national representatives may not be able to realize the right to compete that they fought to earn; and the surging tide of money from major corporations pushes ordinary fans, wave after wave, away from the stadium.

運動，是一種文明的演進，在規範與框架之下，將野性的競爭與衝突升華為力與美的技藝。

Sport is an evolution of civilization: under rules and within frameworks, it sublimates wild competition and conflict into an art of force and beauty.

運動，也是一種經濟的刺激，隨著農業社會、工業社會、資本巿場發展，串接庶民消費與高端精品。

Sport is also an economic stimulus: with the development of agricultural society, industrial society, and capital markets, it connects popular consumption with high-end luxury.

運動，更是國族主義與個人主義的交鋒，在集體榮光共感底下，不斷思辯競技最核心的精神與意義。

Sport is, further, a clash between nationalism and individualism: beneath the shared feeling of collective glory, it keeps thinking through the core spirit and meaning of competition.

運動的社會性，與社會的運動性，是一場永恆的「長盤制」（Long Game），人類的愛恨情仇，喧囂歡愉，當代價值，將天荒地老戰鬥與論證下去。

The sociality of sport, and the sportiveness of society, are an eternal Long Game. Humanity's loves and hates, its noise and joy, its contemporary values, will go on fighting and arguing until the end of time.

Long Game，《報導者》的運動專欄，由研究專長為運動社會學、流行文化與媒體觀察的國立體育大學體育研究所教授、美國職棒MLB球評陳子軒執筆。

Long Game is The Reporter's sports column, written by Chen Tzu-hsuan, a professor at the Graduate Institute of Sport Studies at National Taiwan Sport University, whose research specialties are the sociology of sport, popular culture, and media observation, and who is also a commentator on Major League Baseball.

Seeking Truth in Depth, Walking with Many Voices深度求真 眾聲同行

獨立的精神，是自由思想的條件。獨立的媒體，才能守護公共領域，讓自由的討論和真相浮現。

An independent spirit is the condition of free thought. Only independent media can safeguard the public sphere and allow free discussion and truth to emerge.

在艱困的媒體環境，《報導者》堅持以非營利組織的模式投入公共領域的調查與深度報導。我們透過讀者的贊助支持來營運，不仰賴商業廣告置入，在獨立自主的前提下，穿梭在各項重要公共議題中。

In a difficult media environment, The Reporter remains committed to a nonprofit model for investigative and in-depth reporting in the public sphere. We operate through the support of reader sponsorship, do not rely on commercial advertising placement, and, on the premise of independence and autonomy, move through the important public issues of our time.

今年是《報導者》成立十週年，請支持我們持續追蹤國內外新聞事件的真相，度過下一個十年的挑戰。

This year marks the tenth anniversary of The Reporter. Please support us as we continue to pursue the truth of news events at home and abroad and face the challenges of the next decade.