Thank goodness Fifa is bound by its statutes to keep politics out of sport. The abiding picture of the opening match of this World Cup came after the third goal of the 5-0 rout when the TV cameras panned to the Chuckle Brothers in the seats of honour.
President Vladimir Putin and the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reached out and fist-bumped. And the man in the middle, Fifa president Gianni Infantino, beamed with delight.
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