Someone's got to play the "heel".
So you’re telling me that international soccer might be rigged to benefit the more popular teams and popular players in order to maximize ratings and endorsements.
You mean Tom Brady didn’t really win all those Super Bowls? That LeBron James didn’t need to sell all those flops to get special treatment from the refs?
Welcome to the Real World, Egyptians!! So sorry you had to learn the truth like this but it gets worse from here.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been arguably the best 2 players and the most well known in soccer for decades, yet Messi just one his first World Cup in 2022, and Ronaldo has not won one. It’s a team sport, with very important input from individual players. Plus, the World Cup has fans and followers from all around the globe. Fixing it for a few select teams would lead to a much smaller audience - and thus less money.
Someone's got to play the "heel".