Not in Russia for the World Cup? Not a problem. A quick primer: Germany’s out, Mexicans are suddenly South Korea’s biggest fans, and Maradona was hurt but now he’s fine. Onto the big news, like where is the beer?
Russia is running out of beer… and so is the rest of Europe
Beer and football, a love story for the ages. The thirst is real, at least for the thousands of football fans who have descended on Moscow, drinking the city’s bars and restaurants dry. There is an actual beer shortage in Moscow, as no one expected the football fans to want quite so much beer. (Should they be drinking vodka instead?) But it gets worse. There is now officially a carbon dioxide crisis in Europe, as supplies dip due to the rising summer temperatures and rabid consumption of beer across the continent. Beer and cider are being rationed in UK supermarkets, Coca Cola has temporarily paused production and British pub chain Wetherspoons is being forced to pull certain beers from the menu. Slow down, (beer) gas guzzlers!
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Officials are encouraging you to sneak in to Russia
You can get into Russia visa-free by pretending to have tickets to the World Cup. And if you do, do it knowing you have the full backing of the Football Supporters’ Federation. Officially, World Cup ticket-holders receive a Fan ID that allows them visa-free entry into the country. But the FSF found a loophole in the Russian security system and obtained a number of Fan IDs that even non-ticket-holders can use, and are actively encouraging England fans to take advantage of it. Seems sensible to get on the wrong side of Russian law enforcement.
This could be the most expensive World Cup ever
So if you do sneak in, know that you could be stepping foot inside some serious top-dollar stadiums. Russia’s total spend on the tournament has been estimated at an eye-watering USD 14 billion. That’s a lot of merch.
Read also: Would you pay $792,000 for a night in space?
People think The Simpsons have predicted the World Cup final
20 years ago! Super fans have dug up a 1997 episode of the Simpsons called ‘The Cartridge Family’, in which Portugal and Mexico compete in a football tournament to determine who is the greatest nation on earth. Remember, The Simpsons also predicted Trump’s presidency so…
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