Nigeria, June 8 -- When the FIFA World Cup kicks off on 11 June, Nigeria will be on the menu but not as a competitor. Nigerian musician, Burna Boy, will headline the opening ceremony in a duet with Colombian superstar, Shakira, for who this will be a second appearance at the opening of the World Cup. Her first was at the 2010 edition in South Africa.

Despite challenging trade and diplomatic relations between them, Canada, Mexico, and the United States will jointly host the tournament. This will be the second time in its history that the World Cup would be shared among joint hosts. South Korea and Japan did so in 2002.

This year's tournament occurs in a time of profound uncertainty and serious questions about the future of international ...