Football, the new global religion, reveals everything wrong with capitalism – greed, inequality, and power disguised as fair play. The connection between football and capitalism is undeniable: both promise fair competition, yet both are ruled by money and manipulation. Could the world’s most-watched sport wake us up to the system’s collapse?

Slowly it becomes more and more obvious, even for mainstream people, that our current money system will collapse if the tax models and the influence of power and money do not change. Where aware people have been warning for decades about the dishonesty of the system, the influence of money and power is now also becoming visible to the less aware world.

Decades ago, the influence of a few powerful families and multinational corporations on politics was already visible. This was accepted because many believed that the so-called American Dream was an honest competition with winners and losers. We only had to integrate a social system to make sure people would not fall through the cracks. We did not succeed, but we accepted that failure because we felt we were trying, through humanitarian programs and charity.

But even then, the more critical and socially aware already sensed that the system was intentionally made in a way that keeps a large group of people locked out of the game.

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The System That Keeps People Struggling

Left-wing politics have long been lobbying for change, trying to create a fair start for everyone. But your start in life still depends on where you are born, in what family, in what part of the world, and under what personal circumstances. Health, education, and opportunities all depend on these factors, shaping either a prosperous or a poor future.

The system is built to keep the majority in survival mode. The working class keeps working hard to avoid poverty. It works psychologically, because the system creates prices for housing, mortgages, salaries, and taxes in such a way that working hard gives enough people the feeling that they are doing fine, even happy. They are exhausted, but satisfied enough to keep the system going.

Since the arrival of computers and digitalization, we have seen step-by-step changes in the economy. Online platforms, tech giants, and investment companies have become more powerful than ever, next to the already rich families and multinationals.

Football and Capitalism: The Same Game

Today, even mainstream people start to feel that something is off. The game no longer feels fair. People work harder and harder, invest more time and energy, and yet see less progress.

A few enormous investment companies, such as BlackRock and Vanguard, control the world through the participation of the super-rich. They rule the economy in an unfair way, always to their own benefit. They are involved in Big Food, Big Pharma, and Big Media. They control the seeds and the food, they profit from the diseases caused by unhealthy products, and they make money again by selling the medicine. Everybody can see how unhealthy and unfair this has become.

In our so-called democratic system, we depend on politics. Left-wing parties try to change things through a more fair tax system and by acknowledging that the starting point was already unequal. Colonialism created global imbalances, and to create fairness, we need new rules and new tax systems. But still, right-wing populism wins, because it is supported by the super-rich through money and influence.

Social media, owned by people like Musk and Zuckerberg, who are friends of Trump, shape what people see and believe. Musk openly supports right-wing politics in countries like Germany and England. 

Wake up, world!

They want us to choose right-wing populism according to the old model of divide and conquer.

Right-wing politics create shortages in housing, healthcare, and affordable groceries, and then blame immigrants instead of the super-rich. Big Media repeats the message, and large groups of hardworking people, too tired to dive deeper, start believing it. They begin to fight each other instead of seeing who really benefits.  

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The Hope in Football and Capitalism’s Mirror

Not everyone sees this yet, but awareness is growing. I keep believing that one day, we will be enough to stand up. Maybe football, for many the new religion, will help us. It is a worldwide competition model that has also become more and more influenced by money.

The fair play ideal no longer works. The biggest clubs have the best accountants to find the smartest ways to bend the rules, just as big companies find the best tax havens. It is the same game, only in a different arena, which shows again how football and capitalism mirror each other.

We now hear more analysts talking about competition falsification caused by money. Barcelona plays competition matches in Miami. AC Milan plays in Perth. Of course, they get support from the overseas crowd while the other team faces a disadvantage. It is completely unfair. These games are actually away matches, which means they should face the challenge of a hostile crowd, but instead they now receive enthusiastic support from the audience that happens to be on their side.

Last week, Saudi Arabia qualified for the 2026 World Cup by winning in a competition with Indonesia, while all their matches, even their away games, were played in Saudi Arabia with home support.

Football and capitalism: a power (mis)match

Furthermore, as we all know, the next World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Recently, Trump threatened to have several matches relocated from Boston, officially under the argument of safety concerns. In reality, this move seems politically motivated, as the (Democratic) mayor of Boston refuses to follow his wishes.

It is yet another clear example of how football and capitalism intertwine with political power and personal agendas, and how the emotional immaturity of many of our so-called leaders continues to shape the world we live in, as psychologist and founder of Beyond Psychology Myrthe Glasbergen, MSc. also described in her recent article on this subject.

Time for a New Kind of Game

I hope football, already the new religion for millions, can become a mirror. Maybe the frustration of the supporters and fans will grow enough to show us that we are walking toward a dead end where money and power become too important for a fair play.

It is time to change the system, starting with introducing the idea of limitarianism: a more social and fair model that limits income, assets, and inheritance to create a world with opportunities for all.

In the end, football and capitalism reflect the same structure: a few powerful players, endless competition, and the illusion of fair play. But maybe, through football, we will finally see it clearly and start building a fairer world.

Maybe football, loved by so many, can help us wake up.

One Love 💕

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