In spite of the predictions of a global boycott, the fears of US entry restrictions, the quixotic flamboyance of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and the disappointment of Jamaica’s absence from the festive board, World Cup will be the main item on the menu when the summer sports calendar kicks off.

The preliminaries went off to a nervous start, but it does seem that the pieces are coming together and all 48 teams and 1,248 players will be heading towards host countries the US, Canada and Mexico for the renewal of the world’s most popular tournament.

The unpredictability of the main host country, the US, can still put a spoke in the wheel, but guess what? The roll-out of teams and players is proving that the game is bigger than any political intervention, and that sports can outplay any card posed in any attempt to upset the most beautiful game.