Total Football Evolution – From Michael Jackson to The Weeknd

Alex Dieker

4th May 2018 | 11:00 PM

Is the relationship between football and the people of the Netherlands, love or lust? Total football’s evolution, from Cruijff to Depay, has been mirrored by popular music’s shift in themes, from Michael Jackson’s positivity to The Weeknd’s dark ballads.
Total Football Evolution - From Michael Jackson to The Weeknd
Art by Debanjan Chowdhury.

“Cause with this money comes problems
And with these problems comes solutions
And I use ’em
When I’m faded I forget
Forget what you mean to me”

— Abel Tesfaye [The Weeknd]

When Clint Dempsey scored in the opening minute against Ghana, I was hooked. None of my friends had ever chatted about professional football, nevermind watched it often enough on the television. When I tuned into the 2014 World Cup, it was more of a pity-watch than anything. However, the experience was unlike anything I’d been a part of.  My preconceptions about ‘soccer’ — its slow, boring gameplay landmarked by diving players and corrupt refs — were almost immediately remedied by the joy of viewing my own country succeed on the global stage.

Soccer had me glued as a late bloomer, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Yet, years before the Brazilian World Cup, I nearly took on another sport as my favourite.

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