“Why are all those humans running after the same ball?” shalzed asked.

“It’s called soccer. It’s one of the most popular sports, and this is the championship,” I told him.

The TV shifted to a wide shot of the stadium, packed with people wearing the Mexican team’s green. “Where is this taking place?” Shalzed asked.

“Mexico City. It’s Mexico vs South Africa,” I said.

Shalzed’s blinked three times. “But that’s not possible,” he said. “Certainly an event like that in Mexico would be subject to boycott.”

I wrinkled my forehead. “Why?”

“Mexico was just accused of crimes against humanity. Over 100,000 people have gone missing, often due to gangs, and the government does nothing. Relatives are left to search for their lost family members on their own.”

I didn’t know much about that, so I shrugged. “Only a few of the games are in Mexico,” I said. “The United States is hosting the most.”

“The United States!” Shalzed exclaimed. “Where masked ICE agents pull people off the streets? That conducts extrajudicial killings of anyone the government claims could be a drug smuggler? How could other countries send their sports teams to participate in a competition there?”

The announcer raised his voice, drawing my gaze to the television. A Mexican player was laying on the ground, and the referee held up a yellow card. The crowd was screaming for red. “I think they decided to let the U.S. host a long time before Trump was president,” I told Shalzed.

“That doesn’t explain why the other countries don’t boycott now,” Shalzed replied.

“Some of the games are also in Canada,” I told him.

Shalzed blinked three times again. “An international tribunal just determined that Canada is guilty of ongoing genocide against its indigenous peoples!” he exclaimed. “How can this kicking a ball contest be held in a country guilty of the most serious of all crimes?”

I looked back at the screen. The player on the ground was slowly getting up. “I guess every country is guilty of something,” I said.

“Then why are only some boycotted, while others are not?” Shalzed asked.

I turned back to the TV, because I didn’t know what to say.