David Wallace-Wells in NYT: ‘They used to call the World Cup, unequivocally, the planet’s biggest sporting event. But it is about to start, right here in North America, and no one much seems to care.’ And: ‘How much soccer can fans absorb? How many opportunities for cathexis do they need?’

As well: ‘And that may tell us something about the broader phenomenon, too. Namely, that what we identify as nationalism in global affairs might be better described as a form of parochialism, with populists making particular claims not about the nation per se so much as the ways it should be reformed — presumably toward some reactionary ideal, its contours often more local than genuinely national.’

And: ‘For all of us, rooting for Arsenal or P.S.G. might now be more appealing precisely because it’s essentially meaningless.’

Salvation, meaningless rooting. Just make sure to root for a winner.